Chapter 642: The Tomb Collapses, the Heavens Change

BOOM!

Wu Ba's tiger squat cannon roared into detonation.

At Mount Qingcheng, the tiger squat cannon had already been modified.

Its original design featured a carved tiger's maw at the muzzle, with two clawed legs beneath for support.

After all, this device was far too powerful, and it used new-style gunpowder.

From the outset, it was never intended as a personal weapon.

Originally, such a modification was impossible—but due to the Opening Vault Gathering, countless Daoist sects from Shenzhou gathered atop Mount Qingcheng, including several master alchemists who, working together, reengineered the tiger squat cannon.

The tiger's maw remained unchanged; the two front claw-legs were reshaped into curved grips for two-handed use, while a shoulder pad was added at the rear, allowing the recoil to be absorbed by the shoulder, dispersing force partially backward and partially downward.

Even so, only Wu Ba's monstrous strength could withstand it.

As the cannon roared, a torrent of white vapor erupted from the one hundred and eight vent holes along the barrel's rear, kicking up dust behind him while the terrible force transmitted downward.

CRACK!

The ground beneath Wu Ba's feet instantly cracked into a spiderweb of fissures.

Though the disturbance was immense, he still stood firmly on the earth.

The truly terrifying part was its power.

Wu Ba did not use shrapnel—he fired a single solid lead ball, modified by Sha Li Fei and packed with vast quantities of phosphorus fire and new-style gunpowder, designed to explode upon impact.

Instantly, the cannonfire surged like a crimson dragon plunging into the tomb's entrance.

The five-colored corpse spiders and terracotta coffins behind them shattered like paper.

Rocks and soil tumbled down, burying the massive rotting insect limbs and sealing the tunnel entrance.

RUMBLE!

Before anyone could catch their breath, a muffled thunder echoed from deep within the earth vein.

It was the tiger squat cannonball detonating underground.

But this was not over.

Like a dying beast thrashing, the sound of cracking rock layers continued without end.

Fissures spread like spiderwebs from the entrance in all directions.

Wu Ba opened his mouth wide, staring in disbelief at the tiger squat cannon on his shoulder.

"Fall back—it's the tomb collapsing!"

Li Yan shouted a warning, identifying the cause.

This Qin-era fake Yin Si tomb had, from its very construction, been left with flaws by Xu Fu; for centuries, the demonic forces of the Six Kingdoms had seeped into it day and night, and with age, it had long been on the verge of collapse.

Wu Ba's cannon shot had shattered the last balance.

The entire tomb below began to cave in; the towering false "Luo Feng Mountain" cracked and partially collapsed, slowly tilting, while the "Six Palaces of Luo Feng" atop it crumbled utterly.

WHOOSH~

Wild winds howled as black mist churned.

Thick, turbid black demonic qi, mixed with dust, erupted outward.

It was the Six Kingdoms' demonic army, long sealed and suppressed.

Rolling black mist coalesced in midair into grotesque ghostly faces, surging upward.

And at that moment, the Sui Hou Snake Pearl began to activate.

As Yin Jiuge had said, this Qin palace's fake Yin Si was arranged according to the Three Talents—Heaven, Earth, and Humanity; the Earth and Humanity positions were flawed, but the Heaven position remained intact and unyielding.

The twenty-eight meteorites forming the "Twenty-Eight Mansions" above trembled in unison.

The Sui Hou Snake Pearl, positioned at the Northern Dipper, now blazed with brilliant light.

Li Yan and the others did not know that the arrangement of the Sui Hou Snake Pearl was highly deliberate.

It was arranged with the twenty-eight meteorites to form the Twenty-Eight Mansions Array, drawing in the qi of the entire Mangshan earth vein, even connecting to the Central Dragon Vein, and using the Sui Hou Snake Pearl as the array's core to create a celestial suppression.

For a thousand years, it was this array that had kept the Six Kingdoms' demonic army trapped.

And the Sui Hou Snake Pearl itself was no ordinary artifact.

It had attained sentience; having absorbed the Dragon Vein's qi for a millennium, it now bore the signs of transformation into a dragon.

As the Six Kingdoms' demonic army broke free, the Pearl began to actively suppress them.

White primordial gang qi surged from the jewel, coiling and spiraling through the air; beneath the pearl's radiant white glow, it resembled a divine dragon soaring and diving through clouds, colliding with the black demonic qi rising from below.

The demonic qi was a corrupted form of primordial gang and sha qi.

The Sui Hou Snake Pearl, meanwhile, had absorbed vast amounts of Shenzhou Dragon Vein qi.

Though inferior to the Nine Tripods, it was profoundly mysterious.

The collision of these two forces erupted into blinding crimson light…

RUMBLE!

Li Yan and the others retreated swiftly.

Only after leaving the region of the Northern Wei Jing Mausoleum did the ground fissures cease.

Looking up, they saw a vast stretch of the hillside had collapsed, covered in spiderweb cracks.

The scene was truly staggering.

No one could speak.

Li Yan had not anticipated that the tomb's collapse would produce such a commotion.

"Inside…"

Long Yan was about to ask when she suddenly widened her eyes in shock.

From within the fissures, a hundred-zhang pillar of crimson light erupted.

It had been barely a day since Qingming; though no rain had fallen, the sky was thick with dark clouds.

Bathed in the crimson light streaming from the cracks, half the sky turned blood-red…

…………

The effects of the tomb's collapse were already felt in many places.

Cuiyun Peak, Shangqing Palace.

This was where Laozi once refined elixirs, and the first Daoist temple in Shenzhou to bear the name "Palace."

During the Tang Dynasty, it was an imperial Daoist temple, with deep and ancient roots.

The temple's red walls and green tiles, surrounded by pines and cypresses, housed a massive elixir furnace slowly exhaling blue smoke.

Dozens of Daoists sat around the furnace, waving their dust whisks and chanting incantations.

Perhaps because Laozi had refined elixirs here, Shangqing Palace was renowned for its alchemy.

They sold not only ordinary pills but also True Dao Elixirs.

Though the path of external elixirs had killed many emperors, seekers still flocked to it.

These Daoists were adept at scheming; the current court situation had given them new hope.

The current Emperor of Daixuan had been wise and martial since youth, firmly controlling the court and accomplishing many great deeds, elevating Daixuan's strength; with the opening of the seas, he now faced even greater opportunities.

Yet human transformation had arrived, and the Emperor was now old.

But those with ability feared most of all "regret."

Regret that their life's work would be destroyed,

Regret that they would depart in obscurity from the height of their glory.

This was their opportunity.

Of course, the Daoists had no intention of refining lead-and-mercury pills.

As long as they could extend life, preserve vitality and vigor, it was enough for them.

This batch of elixirs had gathered many celestial treasures and earth essences, and had been refined for three months.

Once the hundred-day mark was reached, they could produce "Earth Marrow Powder."

This formula had been passed down by the River Elder.

They had barely managed to gather all the spiritual ingredients.

At that moment, the demon-suppressing bronze bells hanging from the eaves suddenly rang without wind.

The young Daoist in the Three Pure Ones Hall widened his eyes in terror.

The "Dutian Five Thunder Talisman" offered before Laozi's statue suddenly cracked!

This was a talisman passed down by Zhang Daoling, long the sacred treasure of Shangqing Palace.

Outside, the alchemists likewise trembled in spirit, spitting blood in unison.

Another treasure of Shangqing Palace was this elixir furnace.

Legend claimed it was passed down by Laozi himself—though in truth, it was not, yet it was still a precious furnace.

When refining elixirs, it yielded high success rates and astonishing results.

Now, the Daoists discovered in horror that the furnace was humming and trembling.

Black water seeped from its walls; the entire batch of precious elixirs was ruined.

"Who?!"

The white-bearded lead Daoist leapt to his feet, face flushed with fury.

Before he could determine the cause, he saw the distant sky filled with crimson light.

The old Daoist froze, swiftly calculated with his fingers, then muttered: "Damn."

"Master, what is that?" the nearby Daoist asked urgently.

"That's 'Red Omen'!"

The old Daoist gritted his teeth: "The Book of Han, Treatise on the Five Phases, records: Red Omen belongs to Fire, presaging warfare and plague."

"Something's happened over there—ring the bell, open the altar!"

……

In Luoyang City, the City God Temple.

Rustle-rustle!

The clay statue of the Judge inside the temple suddenly shed its lacquer, blood seeping from the cracks.

The plaque above the main hall, "Judging Good and Evil," crashed to the ground.

Huh~

Suddenly, cold winds surged from all sides, and the paper money hidden on the rafters rained down like snowflakes.

Luoyang's vital energy had waned; the people were impoverished, and the temple's incense offerings had dwindled.

Even so, many civilians still came to burn incense.

They were all traveling merchants who, unable to return home during Qingming Festival, came to the City God Temple to burn incense, offering their grief and praying for the City God's protection.

Seeing this eerie sight, the people inside the temple turned pale with terror.

They couldn't understand why the Judge's statue was bleeding.

Nor could they fathom who would hang paper money on the temple's beams.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the City God Temple is closed—please leave at once!"

A somber monk and a Daoist temple keeper walked together into the main hall.

These traveling merchants were shrewd, each more cunning than the last; seeing something amiss, they immediately bowed their heads and left.

Some, unwilling to stir trouble, hurried to their inns.

Others ran toward the yamen to report the incident.

Soon, the main hall fell silent.

The Daoist temple keeper stared at the scattered paper money, then spun around and growled: "What's going on? Didn't you say this matter would be settled after Qingming? How did you end up creating this mess?"

The gloomy monk gazed toward Mount Mangshan. "Something's happened there…"

His voice was strange and stiff—he was a monk from Japan.

"Hmph!"

The Daoist temple keeper sneered, picking up a piece of paper money. "This trick works only once. Tonight, the City God will resume his patrol as usual. I've fulfilled your demand—after today, we're done with each other!"

"Hmm."

The monk nodded in agreement, but as he lowered his head, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

At that moment, noise erupted outside the door.

The Daoist temple keeper whirled around and saw blood-red hues in the distant sky.

He was startled, then fear flashed in his eyes; he quickly formed a hand seal and performed divination, his voice trembling: "This Qingming, the Purple Microcosm has shifted—blood radiance from Mount Mangshan strikes straight at the Purple Microcosm. This is the omen of 'Ghostly Excess Defying the Purple Microcosm'—a sign of national collapse! What have you done?!"

At that moment, cold dread rose in his heart.

Luoyang City had a long history; though the City God Temple's incense offerings had faded, its She Ling troops remained formidable, drawing fierce competition between the Shangqing Palace and the White Horse Temple for control.

Precisely because of this, the temple keeper had profited handsomely from playing both sides.

The earlier Luoyang Paper Doll Case had occurred because he was coerced, preventing the She Ling troops from operating normally, allowing the paper dolls to strike again and again at night.

He had assumed this was merely another Buddhist-Daoist power struggle.

But now, it seemed far more complicated.

Puff!

As he turned to ask a question, sudden pain pierced his chest.

The Daoist spat blood; looking down, he saw a Japanese blade protruding from his chest.

Behind him stood the monk, face grim…

…………

Outside Luoyang City, the White Horse Temple.

This renowned Chan monastery also showed signs of disturbance.

In the cellar beneath the scripture hall, the sound of cracking earthen jars echoed continuously.

Rustle-rustle!

The "Pagoda Grove," where Tang Dynasty masters were buried, tilted inexplicably.

Monks poured out in panic, staring at the scene before them, utterly bewildered.

……

Inside the Longmen Inn, the He Luo Horse Caravan was in deliberation.

The appearance of coffin paper dolls during the River Lord sacrifice was an ill omen.

Thus, they had desperately suppressed the matter—but the merchant guild's business had suffered as a result.

"Manager! Manager!"

As they were at a loss, the inn's attendant burst in, frantic.

"Xiao Wu, how dare you be so disrespectful?"

Madam Pei immediately rebuked him sternly.

It seemed harsh, but she was protecting him.

After all, she was merely the leader of the He Luo Merchant Guild, and several of those present were truly difficult men.

Yet the attendant paid no heed, pointing outside and crying out:

"On the water—something's happened again on the water!"

At once, everyone rushed out to investigate.

They saw bubbles rising continuously from the Yi River.

The shore was already crowded; they pushed through the throng and were stunned.

There, mud churned in the river, slowly rising a sunken vessel.

The boat was ancient, its seams packed with silt, its deck covered in withered bones bound by chains.

Even stranger, the hull was assembled from many wooden planks.

As the river washed away surface mud, they saw each plank carved with the name of a tomb: "Tomb of 【Name】."

The entire boat was made entirely of tombstones and spirit tablets.

"This… what is this thing?"

Madam Pei felt every hair on her body stand on end and asked urgently.

Yet everyone around shook their heads.

"This is the 'Soul-Reaping Boat'!"

At that moment, an aged voice rang out from the crowd.

A blind, blue-robed elder emerged, carrying a two-stringed fiddle.

Madam Pei's eyes lit up; she bowed quickly: "Are you the Elder 'Earth-Hearing String'?"

The newcomer was none other than Yue San'er, "Earth-Hearing String," of the Bamboo Grove Six Idlers.

After leaving Shu, he had returned to Yuzhou.

This elder was well-known among the Xuanmen along the Yellow River, hence instantly recognized.

"Elder, what manner of evil is this 'Soul-Reaping Boat'?"

Yue San'er said gravely: "In my youth, I once witnessed this during a river burial, guided by a senior who revealed its origins."

"During the Northern Wei, there was a heretical sect called the Yin Fu Sect, skilled in commanding Yin troops. They imitated the Qin method of sinking jade to calm waters, sinking boats into river vortices—to nourish malevolent energy through water veins and collect the souls of fallen warriors, awakening them in battle to smash enemy formations."

"During the 'River Yin Massacre,' Erzhu Rong slaughtered over two thousand Northern Wei officials by the river in Luoyang, turning the water red. The Yin Fu Sect seized the chance to forge the 'Soul-Reaping Boat,' inciting universal outrage. They were hunted down by the Northern Dynasties' Xuanmen and vanished without a trace."

"On rainy nights, some claim to have glimpsed it—folklore calls it the 'Ghost Ship Passing Through.'"

"This must be a remnant. Burn it with peachwood arrows—never let it reach shore."

As he spoke, he bowed and said: "I came at the invitation of young Li Yan, but was delayed en route. Some said they saw him at the Longmen Inn—Madam Pei, do you know where he went…?"

Before he finished, the crowd erupted again.

The surface of the Yi River bubbled violently, the area of churning mud expanding rapidly.

One after another, the eerie "Soul-Reaping Boats" rose from the water.

As everyone stared in shock, the sky above Mount Mangshan turned blood-red.

Madam Pei whispered tremulously: "Li Yan… they're on Mount Mangshan…"

(End of Chapter)