Chapter 647: Qianyang Hall, Ghost Emperor of Mangshan

Yin winds howled, cold qi seeped everywhere.

The influence from Mangshan was growing stronger by the moment.

The six nations' demonic armies, fused with the yao sheng qi, had become immortal, indestructible beings; even after years of suppression by the Qin Palace's False Yin Bureau, they had never been erased, and the hatred of their nation's destruction a thousand years ago had turned into an endless tide of malevolence.

This malevolence surged upward constantly, ready at any moment to burst through Mangshan.

When that happened, all of Luoyang would become a realm of ghosts, all living beings reduced to carnage.

But the "Suihou Snake Pearl" was no less extraordinary.

This treasure had already attained sentience and showed signs of transforming into a dragon; under the influence of the array, it continuously gathered the dragon vein's earth qi.

The dragon veins of Shenzhou originated in Kunlun, stretched between the Yellow River and the Yangtze, passed through the Qinling and Dabie Mountains, and entered the sea at Mount Tai—since ancient times the core of the Central Plains, shaped over countless millennia by wind, frost, blood, and fire, nurturing countless sacred mountains, great rivers, and dynasties.

Now set in motion, even a small region produced astonishing disturbances.

The Yi River, the Luo River, even the confluence of the Yellow River, had all erupted into towering waves.

Furious waves crashed against the shores, pounding the docks and levees, filling the merchants of the Heluo Guild with dread.

Above, the sky had darkened with dense clouds, stirred by the shifting earth qi.

It was nearly midnight, normally pitch black, but the blood-red glow from Mangshan, intensified by the clash of two forces, blazed brighter, staining half the sky crimson.

Boom!

Crimson lightning roared.

Each flash revealed the thick clouds forming the shape of a dragon in the blood-red sky.

Raindrops as large as beans pattered down.

In an instant, the heavens opened in a torrential downpour.

Hundreds of miles away, on mountain paths, hooves thundered.

Every rider spurred his horse, right hand pressing down on his conical hat.

Occasionally, a gust snatched a hat away, revealing a bald scalp beneath.

These were the reinforcements from Shaolin Temple—numbering at least several hundred.

Sha Li Fei and Wang Daoxuan were among them.

Gazing at the distant blood glow, they were shaken and deeply worried.

Their mission to seek aid from Shaolin had gone smoothly enough.

Shaolin Temple, the ancestral seat of Chan Buddhism, stood equal to Wudang and Emei, and naturally had no shortage of personnel.

They had not made things difficult, but had other urgent matters.

Due to the drastic celestial changes, the court's need for a new calendar had become pressing.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau, together with numerous fengshui masters, was performing calculations at the ancient observatory built by Guo Shoujing of the previous dynasty.

That was where the Shoushi Calendar had been devised; the new calendar must also be calibrated there.

To guard against accidents, Shaolin dispatched many experts to protect the site.

Upon learning of the events in Luoyang, they immediately mobilized troops, delaying for several hours.

Wang Daoxuan had not expected that despite rushing, something had already gone wrong.

Beside him, a large monk riding hard suddenly looked up, his face grave.

"Amitabha, the red sheng stirs—there is indeed a great calamity!"

The monk had a gentle face and kind eyes, ears hanging to his shoulders, bearing the countenance of a Buddha—but his body was thick with bulging muscles, ribs like iron plates, more like a Vajra body, clearly no ordinary man.

"Master Huiyuan, can we make it in time?"

Wang Daoxuan could not help asking.

Though his beliefs differed from the Buddhist path, he held deep respect for this monk.

This large monk, Huiyuan, was the leader of Shaolin's Dharma Protectors.

Hearing Wang Daoxuan's question, Huiyuan shook his head slightly. "If the Ding of Yuzhou has not yet appeared, there is still hope—I've heard of its power; once it emerges, all is lost!"

Saying this, he turned sharply. "Zhi Kong—give it to me!"

In the center of the column, eight fine horses marched side by side.

Eight strong monks, each gripping chains, suspended a massive bronze box in midair.

"Yes, Master!"

At Huiyuan's command, the lead monk gave a glance, and all eight exerted their strength simultaneously.

"Hah!"

As they exhaled sharply, the heavy bronze box shot forward with a whistle.

Huiyuan leapt from his horse, caught the box midair, spun, and landed with a thunderous crash.

Thud!

The ground shook, mud and water splashed—evidence of the object's immense weight.

"I'll go ahead!"

Carrying a bronze box taller than a man, Huiyuan's breath remained steady.

After giving his order, he formed a seal with his left hand and pushed off with his feet.

Shhh!

In an instant, he vanished from his spot.

The next moment, he reappeared a hundred steps away!

Faster than a galloping horse—several flashes, and he was gone.

"Shrinking Earth to Inch?"

Sha Li Fei's eyes lit up. "Li Yan also knows this technique."

Wang Daoxuan shook his head. "It's the Buddha's Divine Foot Passage—stronger than any teleportation art."

He knew what was inside the bronze box.

As long as the Ding of Yuzhou had not appeared, most things could still be suppressed.

Yet even so, his worried expression did not fade.

Sha Li Fei saw this and understood his thoughts, offering reassurance: "Don't worry—Li Yan's cultivation is stronger than during the Chengdu battle. He won't be in danger."

"It's different now."

Wang Daoxuan gazed toward Luoyang, speaking low and grave. "When we were in Shu, we were only minor figures. Though Lu Sheng sent men to hunt us, he never truly regarded us as threats—that's why we won easily."

"Now Li Yan is famous across the land; the enemy will surely be on guard."

"I fear they've already laid countless traps..."

…………

Boom!

Thunder flashed, illuminating the plaque above the Wang Fu's main gate.

Though the Luoyang Wang Fu was not as grand as the Shu Wang Fu, its grounds were still vast.

It had originally been the southern main gate of the Sui-Tang Luoyang Imperial Palace, destroyed in war, then rebuilt on the same site—smaller in area, but still built according to Da Xuan rites, with three gateways and a towering gate tower.

Beneath the gate, Li Yan looked up.

When they first entered the city, the Wang Fu had been ablaze, filled with shouts and battle cries.

Now, it was silent, utterly dark and still.

The vermilion-painted gates had been torn apart by cannon fire.

Above the archway, chains hung a shattered hull of a boat, caked in mud and aquatic weeds.

It was the remains of the "Soul-Reaping Boat" that had appeared on the Yi River.

Long strands of weeds hung down, entwined with the remains of soldiers.

Though Li Yan did not know the "Soul-Reaping Boat," he sensed something was wrong.

He formed a hand seal with his left hand and immediately smelled the foul, yin qi of the weeds, and the chaotic cries from within the boat.

Glancing aside, he saw not just one "Soul-Reaping Boat."

The entire archway was filled with hanging hulls, dense weeds swaying in the wind.

Boom!

Rain poured down with the thunder, and the weeds twisted like living things, stretching out from the archway as if trying to lick the falling rain.

Li Yan frowned slightly and turned away.

He was not afraid of these ghostly things, but the situation inside the city was unknown—he had no reason to waste his strength here.

Reaching near the gate, Li Yan pushed off with his feet, leapt upward, and scaled the wall with swift hands, like a gecko climbing a wall—using only his physical strength, he climbed effortlessly.

Clang!

As soon as he reached the rampart, a blade whistled toward him.

Li Yan had already sensed the anomaly; he gripped the bricks, twisted his body.

He dodged the ambush effortlessly, flipping onto the rampart.

There, a row of soldiers stood already.

Their faces were pale and cold, eyes pitch black; rain pounded their scaled armor, yet they stood unmoving.

But as Li Yan leapt onto the rampart, all the soldiers raised their spears and thrust in unison.

Shhh-shhh-shhh!

Dozens of spears pierced the rain, stabbing at Li Yan from all sides.

Li Yan was midair, with no footing—but he remained calm, suddenly contracting his body into a hawk's flip, barely avoiding the spear tips, his body landing perfectly atop several spear shafts.

These soldiers moved stiffly, simultaneously thrusting upward.

Li Yan used this force to leap into the air and land behind them.

The sequence of movements flowed together with the precision of acrobatic coordination.

Unlike some disciples of prestigious sects, Li Yan understood the importance of martial skill and never let up.

Though he had yet to break through to Golden Core, he still trained daily using the Great Luo Body, fully mastering the Immortal Seal Technique—his entire body could neutralize force and use the enemy's strength against them.

In terms of skillful force manipulation, he was no less adept than Golden Core experts.

The only difference was that Golden Core experts excelled in prolonged combat.

As he flipped behind them, still mid-air, Li Yan swiftly drew the Broken Dust Blade and slashed downward.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Cracking sounds echoed through the air.

Raindrops were flung aside—revealing countless fine spider silks.

On the soldiers' backs were paper dolls soaked in blood.

As the silks were severed, the controlled soldiers collapsed to the ground all at once.

Li Yan didn't glance back; he exploded forward with his feet, sprinting three or four steps before kicking upward.

Boom!

A thunderous crash—the coffin resting against the wall was kicked flying.

It shattered upon hitting the cobblestone ground below, revealing a plump, fleshy giant spider that scuttled wildly, its movements growing weaker by the second.

Five-Colored Corpse Spider!

Li Yan had encountered this monster before in the Qin Palace's False Yin Si.

This thing could only hide inside coffins, using silk to control paper dolls—it died upon exposure to light.

It was deep night now; though there was no sunlight, the thunder rolling across the sky was the bane of evil spirits.

Without its coffin, the Five-Colored Corpse Spider's Laiyishengcundeyinqi dissipated, and it soon lay motionless.

On the wall, Li Yan held his blade, coldly gazing downward.

Below, in the square, countless coffins stood in dense rows.

Fine silks extended from their openings, controlling paper dolls that clung to bodies, forming a legion of guards.

The controlled included soldiers, eunuchs, maids, and officials in official robes.

All had pale faces and blackened eyes.

In the heavy rain, they stood utterly still, staring fixedly at him.

The scene before him was utterly chilling.

Li Yan ignored them, turning his gaze to the grand hall across the square.

Though built in the style of the Great Ming, its stone foundation was ancient, with three tiers of white marble steps before it and thirteen bays wide—it was the Qianyang Hall.

This Qianyang Hall had once been the central hall of the Sui-Tang Luoyang Imperial Palace.

According to Yin Jiuge, the secret chamber of the array lay hidden within.

After scanning left and right, Li Yan saw the entire exterior of the Qianyang Hall surrounded by Five-Colored Corpse Spiders.

Under these conditions, he had no choice but to force his way in.

Wang Xuanmo inside must be trying to drain his strength.

Li Yan smirked, shouting loudly: "Wang Xuanmo! I heard you've lost battles repeatedly—apparently your strategies are poor, and your courage weaker than a mouse's—you dare not even show your face. What right do you have calling yourself Ghost Emperor?!"

He poured all his qi into his voice; it echoed across the square, drowning even the thunder.

"Roar!"

At his voice, the coffins across the square trembled in unison, filled with the shrieks of Five-Colored Corpse Spiders.

Then, all sound abruptly ceased.

From within the hall came a withered voice: "Ignorant brat! If you wish to pay homage to me, enter the hall. If you cannot even enter, you have no right to see me!"

"Hahaha… So you're here!"

Li Yan laughed aloud, looking sharply upward.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two Soul-Grabbing Chains shot skyward.

Here, the Soul Register still showed no reaction—Li Yan suspected Wang Xuanmo used some divine artifact to conceal his aura, so he had spoken to test it.

So many Five-Colored Corpse Spiders were indeed formidable; even an entire army would struggle to break through.

But now, he held the advantage of heaven's timing!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As the Soul-Grabbing Thunder Chains rose, thunder cracked across the sky.

With a sharp crack, a bolt of lightning struck straight down, connecting heaven and earth.

The previously invisible Soul-Grabbing Thunder Chains now revealed their forms, crackling with electric sparks.

The Soul-Grabbing Thunder Chains were a divine technique of the Great Luo Realm, profoundly mysterious.

After being refined by the Thunder Bureau, they could now attract and store heavenly lightning.

And after the Chengdu battle, they had been further enhanced with Thunder Gang, increasing their capacity.

Instantly, Li Yan was engulfed in lightning.

The fierce radiance caused the Five-Colored Corpse Spiders to recoil instinctively.

From within the lightning came a solemn voice: "I am no mortal form—I am the True North Emperor. My head is black clouds, my hair a chaos of stars. Above, I reach the Yang Realm; below, I pervade the Netherworld. In all ten directions, the world is heavy with malevolent qi…"

It was Li Yan's Northern Emperor Divine Transformation Scripture.

Soon, the lightning contracted inward.

Li Yan's appearance changed—his hair stood on end, two Soul-Grabbing Thunder Chains pierced through his shoulders like radiant sashes, electric arcs danced over his entire body, and even his eyes glowed white.

Divine Transformation Technique: Thunder Body.

With the Divine Transformation Technique empowered, Li Yan had now shattered the limits of his mortal form.

Boom!

A flash of lightning—his entire body appeared on the square.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

From within the Qianyang Hall came a dull, muffled bell toll.

All the Five-Colored Corpse Spiders surged toward the center like mad.

The corpses they controlled blocked the entire square.

Not only that—behind him, at the entrance of the End Gate, the "Soul-Reaping Boats" swayed violently, black mist and icy winds rose, frost spread across the ground, and countless footprints appeared.

Within the black mist, shadowy figures flickered faintly.

These "Soul-Reaping Boats" were also Wang Xuanmo's arrangements.

No matter whether Li Yan attacked through the main gate or entered the square, he could not avoid them.

Before him: Five-Colored Corpse Spider paper puppets blocked the way; behind him: ghostly soldiers surged forward.

The danger was no less than the False Yin Si.

But Li Yan now felt no fear.

Facing the rushing paper puppets, he swung the Broken Dust Blade with full force.

The Broken Dust Blade, after modification, required thunder qi to unleash its power.

Normally, its might was invisible—but when combined with the Thunder God Body, its divine weapon nature finally emerged.

"Aaang—!"

Blade-light flashed, thunder roared, and a dragon's roar echoed.

Across the square, a dragon-shaped bolt of lightning surged left and right.

Wherever it passed, the dense ranks of paper puppets and ghost soldiers disintegrated into black ash.

Li Yan's thunder technique, though inferior to the heavenly lightning summoned by orthodox Daoist sects, excelled in close combat—these evil entities, suppressed by Thunder Gang, found their soul-stealing and possession techniques useless; one strike was enough to shatter them.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With each flash of lightning, the path to the Qianyang Hall was cleared.

Li Yan paid no further attention to these evils—he unleashed his full power, his body wrapped in lightning, stepped onto the white marble steps, crushed them underfoot, then leapt forward, smashing through the great doors and bursting inside.

As soon as he entered the hall, without even glancing around, he pulled out the Soul Register.

Yet the Soul Register still showed no reaction.

At the same time, the frenzied Five-Colored Corpse Spiders chased after him.

But strangely, they only lingered outside the hall, making the paper puppets carry coffins in chaotic circles, shrieking wildly—yet dared not approach.

Li Yan frowned slightly, ignored them, and turned his gaze to the rear of the hall.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

One by one, incense burners ignited spontaneously.

The previously pitch-black hall became clearly visible.

But the flames within the burners burned green ghost-fire, casting the hall in the eerie glow of a Netherworld Palace.

The hall was vast and empty—except for a high carved sandalwood chair at the top, upon which sat a man clad in a dragon robe, wearing a crown, his hair white, his features sinister. Bathed in the green light, he resembled the Lord of the Netherworld.

It was Wang Xuanmo, the Ghost Emperor of Mangshan.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "You've got some nerve, daring to face me."

"Hahahaha..."

Wang Xuanmo seemed amused, "I fear not even Heaven—why should I fear you, brat?"

Saying this, he turned his head toward the outside and waved his hand.

Zhi zhi~

A shrill cry rang out, and all the malevolent entities outside the hall retreated.

Li Yan frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping the surroundings without expression.

He planned to first locate the opponent's setup, destroy it, then summon the Nether Court to apprehend them.

"Don't bother."

The Ghost Emperor of Mangshan, clearly perceiving his thoughts, smiled and shook his head: "The arrangements here are understood by few alive today—and they're not meant to guard against you..."

He pointed upward, "They're meant to guard against Heaven!"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "What are you planning?"

The Ghost Emperor of Mangshan gave a faint smile, picked up a cup of wine from the nearby table, took a sip, then sneered:

"I intend to enlighten you."

"So you won't foolishly become a sacrificial pawn for those immortals and gods!"

(End of Chapter)