Chapter 695: Jiumen Jiumen Jiumen Yin Xu Evil Wood Appears

It was like falling into a pool of water, with hearing and vision all distorted and twisted.

Li Yan hadn't reacted yet when his body suddenly lightened, and then the light and shadow became stable.

He completely determined that this was an interlayer space.

Whether it was the "Corpse Forest" or the "Long Gong Water Mansion," the feeling here was exactly the same.

Collecting his mind, Li Yan looked around.

He discovered that he had actually appeared in an Earth Temple.

The walls had already half-collapsed, with wooden pillars and brackets, rammed earth walls, and the Tang style could be vaguely seen.

The walls were covered with moss and cracks, and in the cracks, decaying grease that was yellow and black was seeping out.

This place made people uncomfortable at a glance.

Li Yan felt something in his heart and turned his head to look behind him.

Only to see a rectangular stone stele lying on the ground, with "Local Earth God Liu... Great Tang Yonghui Year..." carved on it.

And on the rotten offering table, the clay statue had shattered, and a pitch-black hole appeared against the wall.

Li Yan understood in his heart that this Earth Temple must be one of the exits.

That oil-stealing rat demon had run to the outside from here, stealing incense from the surrounding Earth Temples.

He noted this place and walked toward the outside of the temple cautiously.

Leaving the temple gate, the scene before his eyes was another sight.

Between heaven and earth, it was gloomy and gray, as if shrouded in thick fog, with snow debris drifting down from the sky.

Li Yan raised his hand to catch some, and his expression suddenly became solemn.

What kind of "snow debris" was this? It was clearly incense ash left from burning incense!

He couldn't help but think of what he saw in the "Corpse Forest" and the "Long Gong Water Mansion."

These kinds of places were all in the cracks between the Great Luo Dala Fajie and the mortal world, not existing in reality, but a kind of spiritual space.

The scenes formed were also usually related to spiritual projection.

For example, the "Corpse Forest" was countless graves and pagodas.

And when it came to the "Long Gong Water Mansion," it was simply an underwater karst cave.

This "Jiumen Jiumen Jiumen Yin Xu" was located in the capital and had been densely populated since ancient times, with Tang-style Earth Temple remains.

Perhaps, it was related to the sacrifices of the mortal world...

Thinking of this, Li Yan became alert and continued forward.

Sure enough, here it was somewhat similar to the terrain of the capital.

Although shrouded in thick fog and filled with incense ash, he could still vaguely distinguish the terrain, which was very similar to outside the nine gates, but the streets were very strange, with bluestone roads and rammed earth roads blending together, as if mixed together.

The architectural styles of the surrounding houses also presented different styles.

Earth walls and thatched grass, bluestone and gray tiles, it seemed that buildings from different dynasties were mixed together, and the roads were also twisted and intertwined.

But no matter which one, they were all dilapidated, like a wasteland.

No plants, no birds and beasts, and no human figures, as if he had arrived at the end of the world.

Looking at this scene, Li Yan was thoughtful.

This strange layout further confirmed his guess.

He had also seen the Great Luo Dala Fajie through the bronze Nuo mask with the help of Erlang Zhenjun.

That was a magical place, existing in a way of matter and spirit.

Using the words of his previous life, perhaps it was some higher dimension.

Every time he could only observe it through dreams.

And this so-called secret realm cave heaven was a space crack.

Things in the mortal world would be projected into it in a spiritual way, but they were not that stable...

Of course, all this was just a guess.

Li Yan stopped his wild thoughts and began to investigate everywhere.

This place was very empty, and he couldn't see the boundary. He wanted to find the oil-stealing rat demon from just now, but the other party had entered this "Jiumen Jiumen Jiumen Yin Xu" and didn't know where it was hiding, so he could only move forward based on his feeling.

Fortunately, although it was messy here, he could barely see the outline of the capital.

After moving forward not far, Li Yan immediately stopped, his eyes showing shock.

Only to see a tall city gate floating in the air in the ruins ahead, with the words "Zhengyang Gate" written on it.

The city gate was tightly closed, ancient and simple, covered with rusted iron arrows and stained with mottled filth and blood.

This city gate floating in the air seemed to be pushed by some force, moving slowly.

Such a strange scene really made Li Yan confused.

He had a guess in his heart that the area he entered was only the periphery.

The so-called "Jiumen Jiumen Jiumen Yin Xu" probably had to pass through nine city gates to enter.

But the front and back of this city gate could be seen, and there was nothing there. Where was the entrance?

Rumble~

Just as he was thinking, the city gate suddenly made a violent roar and actually began to open slowly.

Good opportunity!

Li Yan's mind moved, floating like a kite, and rushed directly into the city gate.

The moment he passed through the city gate, his eyes blurred, and another scene appeared.

Only to see a scorched earth ahead, broken walls and ruins emitting thick smoke, blood flowing like a river on the ground, and broken corpses everywhere.

Rumble!

Another roar, and the ground vibrated.

Only to see rolling black mist surging from the mountain ridge in the distance.

Vaguely, he could see countless horse hooves flying, and the sound of shouting and killing whistling like a tide.

In the ruins, the sound of a horse-head fiddle suddenly came, accompanied by a desolate grassland low chant.

And above the black mist, a huge faded animal-skin flag appeared, painted with a gray wolf worshiping the moon, constantly seeping black blood.

"Alahe!"

A low and cold voice sounded from the black mist.

Soon after, with a hum, a black cloud rose, which was countless arrows, dense like rain, splashing toward this side in a parabola.

Li Yan felt his scalp tingle looking at it and turned to retreat.

Even the ten great Grandmasters of the Divine Land were flesh and blood, and it was difficult to save their lives in this terrifying attack.

Although this was the "Jiumen Jiumen Jiumen Yin Xu" and all scenes were spiritual projections, he couldn't be careless.

Rumble~

After the Zhengyang Gate opened to the maximum, it began to close slowly again.

At the last moment when the city gate closed, Li Yan successfully retreated.

Bang, bang, bang!

The sky-filling flying arrows fell on the city gate like raindrops, inserting the entire city gate like a hedgehog.

But strangely, all the arrows quickly turned into black smoke and dissipated, and it returned to its original state again.

"Alahe!"

The voice in the black mist sounded again, surging and galloping, rushing toward another area.

Li Yan naturally didn't know all this.

Looking at the closed city gate, he had lingering fears.

Those just now should be the cavalry charge of the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom back then.

Why did this thing exist in the "Jiumen Jiumen Jiumen Yin Xu"?

His heart was full of questions.

Following the moving city gate, he walked for half a day, and all he saw were ruins, without seeing a single ghost shadow.

Li Yan knew that if he wanted to enter deeper, he probably had to pass through the city gate.

He didn't know if using escape techniques would be able to deceive the cavalry blocking the gate...

Just as he was thinking, his eyes suddenly lit up.

Only to see in the distance, another city gate appeared, also floating in the air, moving slowly.

The words "Chongwen Gate" were written on the city gate.

The nine gates of the capital all had different functions.

For example, the Xuanwu Gate was also called the "Death Gate," which was the passage for prisoner carts, connecting to the Caishikou execution ground, with the words "Regret is Late" carved on the gate hole.

The Chaoyang Gate was the "Grain Gate," the entrance for grain transport, where grain carts from Tongzhou entered the warehouse through here, with grain ear reliefs carved on the gate hole.

The Fucheng Gate was the "Coal Gate," and the Xizhi Gate was the "Water Gate." The Chongwen Gate in front of him was the "Tax Gate," where wine carts and commercial goods passed through to enter the city and had to pay taxes.

The different functions of the nine gates might be related to this secret realm cave heaven.

Li Yan had a guess, but it was difficult to confirm.

Just like the Zhengyang Gate he passed through before, it was the "Dragon Carriage Gate" exclusive to the Emperor, passing through here every winter solstice for heaven worship and the beginning of spring for plowing, but inside were the residual souls of the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom cavalry. Could it symbolize the loss of imperial power?

The moment the two city gates crossed, accompanied by a roar, they opened at the same time.

Li Yan hesitated for a moment and rushed directly into the Chongwen Gate.

The light and shadow in front of him flickered, and another scene appeared:

Dense camel teams, endless, all pale, with black eyes, like lonely ghosts on the Yellow Springs road, walking slowly along the street, without half a word, and even the rotten mules and horses didn't neigh.

It looked lively, but it was dead silent, very strange.

Li Yan was pushed forward by the crowd in the caravan.

This scene made even him feel his scalp tingle.

Rumble~

The Chongwen Gate behind him closed slowly again.

Things had reached this point, Li Yan could only move forward with the caravan, not making any sound.

Fortunately, these things wouldn't attack.

Following this strange team, Li Yan shuttled through the street, and soon was wrapped in gray mist behind him.

The streets here were also twisted buildings from different eras.

After walking for I don't know how long, the chaotic street ahead seemed to become familiar.

However, Li Yan's expression changed drastically.

The Chongwen Gate appeared again ahead!

After walking for half a day, it turned out he was just circling.

Li Yan gritted his teeth and broke away from the caravan, rushing into the surrounding ruins.

However, no matter which way he walked, he would only return to the front of the Chongwen Gate.

Ghost-hitting wall?

Or secret realm array?

Li Yan looked around, somewhat helpless.

He wasn't good at breaking arrays, and this place was strange, as if he had fallen into some kind of cycle.

The only plan now was to leave quickly, so as not to be trapped in this cycle.

Rumble~

The Chongwen Gate opened slowly again.

Li Yan was about to lift his foot, but his expression changed slightly.

"Ding... ling... ding... ling..."

The crisp and peculiar bell sound broke the dead silence of this area.

That sound was like being made by the collision of some fine porcelain.

Looking for the sound, only to see a strange team slowly emerging outside the Chongwen Gate.

That was an eight-person-carried small sedan chair made of crimson brocade, dilapidated but revealing a strange luster.

The "sedan carriers" were not human, but covered in hair, with thin and long limbs, smooth and strange heads, red mouths and big eyes.

Between walking, their joints made clicking sounds, and looking closely, they were actually composed of cicada molts and insect limbs.

This was a "Mao Hou"!

Li Yan finally remembered this thing.

"Mao Hou" was a type of handicraft in the capital.

Using cicada molts for the head and limbs, magnolia buds for the body, white gelatin for adhesion, and wood-tong for props, it was very exquisite.

Skilled craftsmen could use hair monkeys to make various scenes.

"Havoc in Heaven," "Parade of Officials," "Life in the Market"... the hair monkeys performed their duties, vivid and lifelike.

To put it bluntly, they were hand-held figures played by the ancients.

Li Yan knew about this thing only when he was collecting intelligence before, hearing that there were skilled Mystic Sect craftsmen in the capital who could use hair monkeys as carriers, raising Yin souls to drive them, and performing "Mao Hou Plays" at midnight, which was a unique skill of the capital's Mystic Sect.

At this moment, these "Hair Monkeys" were all magnified.

Except for the eight hair monkeys carrying the sedan chair, the others were also like living people, wearing official hats, official robes, or tying flags, or playing military generals.

They moved stiffly, their joints making "click" sounds, like marionettes, neat and uniform.

And through the crimson sedan chair's bead curtain, a fat figure could be vaguely seen sitting inside.

Wearing a military official robe, a tiger-skin hat, a white and fat body, and two huge rabbit ears on top of his head.

It was the legendary Tu'er Ye!

It was Tu'er Ye's patrol!

This team of "Hair Monkeys" carrying Tu'er Ye's divine carriage entered the Chongwen Gate, and with the ding-dong bell sound on the sedan chair, the crowded caravan residual souls along the way scattered like flowing water, giving up the central street.

And as Tu'er Ye's divine carriage moved forward, black mist surged ahead, actually appearing a new road.

Li Yan's eyes flashed with brilliance, and he immediately remembered what happened before.

The old fox immortal enshrined by Hu Yuanyuan said that Tu'er Ye wanted to save children, so he learned about the "Jiumen Jiumen Jiumen Yin Xu."

Before, the "Old Ghost of the Capital" also warned that it was best to follow "Tu'er Ye" after entering.

This was the only benevolent god in the "Jiumen Jiumen Jiumen Yin Xu."

Without any hesitation, Li Yan immediately jumped out of the crowd and followed behind the team.

Tu'er Ye's divine carriage seemed to have sensed something, its head twisted slightly, but it didn't pay attention.

Entering that newly appeared street, the gray mist surged again behind him, and the street also disappeared.

Li Yan dared not be negligent and followed tightly.

This Jiumen Jiumen Jiumen Yin Xu was truly strange.

The soul-guiding incense wrapped around him had already faded, indicating it was almost midnight.

If he hadn't discovered it by then, Wang Daoxuan would use Dharma to drag him back.

After walking for I don't know how long, the view suddenly opened up.

This was a huge abandoned city wall, forged with rammed earth, ancient in age.

On the broken wall stood a giant tree.

Since entering the "Jiumen Jiumen Jiumen Yin Xu," this was the first time Li Yan saw plants, but he didn't feel any joy at all.

That was a strange peach tree.

The trunk was as thick as a small hill, the roots were knotted, coiled on the dilapidated city wall.

Looking closely, the twisted bark was actually composed of countless children's faces that were tightly attached, sticky, and twitching in pain!

The green leaves above the peach tree were tender and dripping, but the dense roots were blood-colored, rooted on the countless white bones under the city wall.

Between the green leaves, several huge flat peaches had already formed, pink and tender like immortal products.

But Li Yan saw this, and his chest was filled with unstoppable nausea.

The second divine ability he awakened could hear the sounds of ghosts and gods.

At this moment, the endless wailing of countless children echoed in his mind...

But what made Li Yan even more shocked were the white bones under the peach tree.

Countless white bones vaguely formed an altar.

The altar was not in an ordinary style; in its core position, a rough rock god statue was enshrined:

Human body, leopard tail, tiger teeth, good at roaring, disheveled hair, wearing a victory.

It was exactly the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" record, the Queen Mother fierce god statue in charge of disaster and punishment!

Li Yan found a Queen Mother statue in the "Long Gong Water Mansion" in Shu, exactly the same as this one.

After years of evolution, the Queen Mother had changed from a fierce god to a benevolent god.

But the ancient and cruel god statue actually began to appear incense.

It turned out the root was here!

Directly in front of the altar, it was not empty.

There were more than a dozen officials wearing tattered ancient official robes performing sacrifices.

These people's faces were blurred and twisted, their movements stiff like marionettes, but they carried an extremely solemn and strange rhythm.

They were actually paper figures!

And behind them, there were birth dates and names written on yellow paper.

Minister of Revenue Zhou Mingyuan, wife of the Salt Transport Commissioner Lin, Marquis of Anping Xiao Jinghuan...

All were people from the "Pantao Assembly"!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 696 =====