"The darkness is filled with black qi, and the wind is cold and chilling."
"It was a bright day, but the black qi covered the sky, making the area look as if it was around 4 or 5 in the morning."
The air was filled with ghostly qi.
"People who are normally outside for a little while will get sick when they return."
At that time, the clinic was full of people and long lines formed in front of each pharmacy.
"Cough, cough, cough."
"Alas, what a disaster caused by humans. How will ordinary people cope with it?"
"My man, who was so strong, was struck by the cold wind and fell ill, bedridden."
"Being sick is still better. I heard yesterday that more than a dozen people from Wang's village, driven by hunger and desperation to hunt in the mountains, were carried away. Their fate is still unknown; it's truly pitiful."
"How do we have to suffer so much?"
"It's all the damn ghost general's fault."
"Who will save the people of our Li Zhou?"
"I heard that many martial artists and high priests have come here to subdue the ghost general. I don't know how things are going."
The ordinary people's faces were filled with worry. They were all at the bottom of society, just wanting to live a peaceful life. Who would have thought that on the eve of the New Year, such a disaster would befall them? Everyone looked very downcast.
Now, the people in the city are in a state of panic. Not to mention the ordinary folk who have no ability to flee, even the wealthy who are capable of escaping are feeling deeply despondent.
These rich people have thought about escaping from Li Zhou before. In fact, some have done so, but leaving here will necessarily pass through Bao Feng Mountain.
The rich who escaped from Li Zhou before were said to have been caught by the ghost general when they passed by Bao Feng Mountain. Now, no one knows whether they are alive or dead.
The reason why the ghost general captures people is something that anyone can guess; it's merely to absorb the vital energy of the living.
It's precisely because they know that fleeing will only result in death more quickly, whether they are poor or rich, everyone is forced to stay at home.
But if they do not flee, they are constantly being worn down by the cold wind every day.
Once the cold wind invades the body, it will immediately result in a high fever that does not subside.
One must know that in ancient times, a high fever that does not break is deadly!
Escape cannot be escaped, and staying is slow death. The people are desperate.
Indeed, the people have become completely desensitized to the point where even as Chen Yun rode his magnificent tiger through the city alleys, those who saw it did not scream or shout; instead, they showed expressions of "come and eat me."
It seems as though living is a painful thing.
Seeing this scene, Chen Yun deeply felt that he had come for the right reason.
Practitioners of the Way cannot be rigidly self-righteous and only seek personal benefit.
Only by practicing good skills and helping others can one save the world, which is the necessary path of the profound Tao.
Thus, he calls for increasing his understanding of the perfect way and accumulating virtuous practices as increasingly beneficial, while reducing them as gaining deeper wisdom and subtle virtues as being progressively more detrimental. By understanding the profound meaning of increase and reduction, one can benefit the world without losing their own place.
With a heavy heart, Chen Yun followed behind the riders Luo Yuangao and Yang Shili, heading towards the outskirts of the city.
There were also numerous evil cultists, including Wu Kejiu, Kang Yuan, and Qin Ming, who followed behind them, eager to see Chen Yun's skills.
Out of the city.
As Chen Yun and his group emerged from the city, they saw the skies several miles away filled with alternating flashes of divine light and patches of black qi, as if engaged in a battle of magic.
Over here by the divine light, there were occasionally flashes of brilliant colors, as if assisting the divine light in its battle.
Chen Yun channeling his vision to look afar, saw an old monk leading a dozen monks and Daoists, fighting against a deluge of ghost soldiers.
Amid the ghost soldiers, there was a particularly prominent ghost general, whose body was shrouded in a thick black qi, as dense as ink.
In addition, there were four ghost generals surrounding the old monk, whose black qi was thinner but still as thick as liquid, indicating that they were no ordinary ghosts.
Chen Yun stretched his eyes out and used his viewing skills to probe the realm of this ghost general and the four ghost generals.
Quickly, he confirmed that this ghost general possessed the power comparable to that of a mid-level to high-level wizard.
The four ghost generals were slightly weaker, similar to the early-level wizards, perhaps only slightly weaker than Yin Wuji and my own Yin general Cui Ming.
The ghost general seemed to have noticed Chen Yun's prying, gazing back in a similar manner and emitting a piercing howl that sounded like a wolf's, laughing enigmatically from afar, "Little Daoist, you can't see clearly from afar. Come closer and take a look."
Chen Yun was taken aback, then burst into laughter, channeling his true qi with great vigor and saying, "Don't hurry, I'm coming right away!"
As he spoke, he slapped the tiger spirit's back, and he transformed into a fierce wind, rushing off at great speed.
Gong was terrified and didn't make a sound. He also gathered up the demon wind and followed.
Wu Kejiu, Kang Yuan, Qin Ming, and the other evil cultists exchanged glances.
In no time, they clenched their teeth, each performing their own flying skills and followed Chen Yun in hot pursuit.
They were able to fly away instantly, but this caused inconvenience for people like Yang Shili, Luo Yuangao, Wang Jian, and Tian Hui.
Yang Shili, Luo Yuangao, Wang Jian, Tian Hui, and the thousands of cavalrymen hurriedly whipped their horses with the reins and charged towards a few miles away to see how Master Chen would subdue the ghost general.
Of course, they were quite smart and wouldn't approach too closely.
...
Bao Feng Mountain.
The famous monk Fa Hai was struggling to defend against the four ghost generals' attack.
He had been invited by his friend, the high monk Fa Zhen, to come here to subdue the ghost general.
Unexpectedly, the ghost general was not subdued, and his friend was captured by the ghost general instead.
This enraged Fa Hai, who in a previous life was one of the eight dragons of heaven, especially the giant snake spirit, as he continuously employed the Buddhist Great Law to try and rescue his friend.
To Fa Hai's surprise, not only was he unable to rescue his friend, but he could only struggle to protect himself under the siege of the four ghost generals.
It should be noted that the ghost general has not personally intervened yet!
Next to Fa Hai, there were more than a dozen Daoists and monks fighting against tens of thousands of ghost soldiers.
The strongest among these Daoists and monks were no more than mid-level wizards, and they were no match for the numerous ghost soldiers surrounding them. They were being cornered, and it was likely that they would surrender in the next moment.
At that time, Fa Hai will have to face the four ghost generals and tens of thousands of ghost soldiers alone.
He knew he couldn't keep on being worn down like this.
The four ghost generals were sending forth large clouds of black qi, surging towards them.
Fa Hai, without hesitation, threw out his robe, clasped his hands together, and chanted the "Lankavatara Sutra" repeatedly: "As I heard, at one time, Buddha dwelled on the Mount Lemoye at the foot of the Blue Sea, within the city of Lankavatara. He was accompanied by a gathering of great monks and arhat beings ..."
The Buddha's light shone brightly, and the robe instantly transformed into a size of over a hundred li, enveloping the four ghost generals and the countless ghost soldiers.
This sort of power is truly immense.
The four ghost generals, momentarily distracted, were caught underneath the robe.
As the four ghost generals were about to be swept away by the robe, the ghost general, who had remained motionless, suddenly spoke coldly, "Old monk, don't try to sneak attack my subordinates!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly emanated a flurry of brilliant rainbow light.
The radiant light was so odd and incredible that it immediately shot up into the sky, turning into misty vapor, spreading out and causing Fa Hai's robe to constantly tremble and unable to fall down.
Seeing the opportunity, the four ghost generals released another wave of ghost qi to attack.
Just as Fa Hai had used the robe to drive away the ghost general, he saw that the robe was being torn apart by the ghost general and had to struggle to maintain it once more.
He knew that defeat was only a matter of time.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, the ghost general suddenly looked towards the eastern horizon and said enigmatically from afar, "Little Daoist, you can't see clearly from afar. Come closer and take a look."
In an instant, a powerful young man's voice came from the eastern sky, "Don't worry, I'm coming right away!"
Just as the voice fell, Fa Hai and the group of Daoists and monks who were struggling in battle, saw a young Daoist alight from a magnificent tiger with vibrant stripes at the foot of the mountain.
Following closely behind were a yamatou, a fearsome and terrifying creature standing a zhang in height, and dozens of evil cultists.
Initially, Fa Hai and the other Daoists and monks heard that there would be additional help, and they secretly rejoiced in their hearts.
However, as they fought fiercely, they stole a glance and discovered that the newcomer was a small Daoist, around seventeen or eighteen years old. They were instantly disappointed.
Just as everyone was deeply disappointed,
The small Daoist leaped off the tiger's back, his hands behind his back, and looked up at the ghost general hovering above the mountain slope, "Let them go, and I'll be your opponent instead."
Fa Hai and the Daoists and monks were stunned, thinking that this little Daoist was taking himself too seriously, as if he were really a high-ranking figure. The ghost general wouldn't be causing havoc in the world if he was so understanding, how could he possibly let them go?
What happened next was unexpected to Fa Hai and the other Daoists and monks.
Only to hear the ghost general laughing loudly, "Ha! Ha! Good! Good!"
Soon, the ghost generals and ghost soldiers, as if they had received some order, surged with black qi like a tide, retreating back up the mountain.
Although Fa Hai and the other Daoists and monks had suddenly escaped from their predicament, they were very puzzled. With the ghost general holding the upper hand, why would he suddenly withdraw his troops and allow them to leave?
They had no idea that the ghost general had observed the strength of the yamatou next to Chen Yun and knew that they would be no match for it if they didn't concentrate their forces.
After all, Fa Hai could barely hold his ground against the four ghost generals.
If the yamatou intervened at this moment, wouldn't it form a siege situation?
At that time, the ghost general would certainly be no match for the yamatou and would be doomed to be defeated.
This is the reason why the ghost general ordered his four ghost generals and tens of thousands of ghost soldiers to retreat, not because of his kind nature.
Fa Hai hurriedly looked at the young Daoist, "Comrade Daoist, this ghost general..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the young Daoist waved his hand and said, "Brothers and sisters in the Daoist Church, please move away from here. I will take care of this ghost general and the countless ghost soldiers on the mountain."
Fa Hai was about to say something when he suddenly noticed the giant yamatou standing next to the young Daoist. His pupils contracted as he immediately understood why the young Daoist had confidence in his ability to subdue demons and suppress evil spirits. He quickly clasped his hands together and bowed respectfully, "In that case, please use your grand law to subdue this ghost general. We will just sit by and watch."
Saying this, Fa Hai reached out and swept his hand, causing the robe to fly back to him. Then he flew off towards a distant place.
The remaining group of Daoists and monks looked at each other in disbelief. Although they couldn't understand where the little Daoist got the confidence, they still followed him in retreating.
At the moment, Fa Hai, the dozen or so Daoists and monks, as well as Wu Kejiu, Kang Yuan, Qin Ming, and dozens of other evil cultists, all gathered their gaze on the Peak of Bao Feng Mountain.
Above, the ghost general was accompanied by the four ghost generals and an army of ghosts that covered the mountain.
Below, there was a young Daoist dressed in green clothes, accompanied by a yamatou.
Everyone knew that a great battle was imminent.
Wu Kejiu, Kang Yuan, and Qin Ming knew the identity of Chen Yun, and each of them watched with serious expressions, eager to see Chen Yun's grand law in action.
Fa Hai and the other dozen or so Daoists and monks still didn't know Chen Yun's identity, and they were still speculating who this Daoist friend was, why he dared to challenge the ghost general and tens of thousands of ghosts.
The group of people were also wondering if this Daoist friend had some kind of great law that made him so confident?
...
In the cave.
In the dim environment, you can vaguely see a dozen or two hundred figures.
In addition to Tian Lingzi, who was delivering the imperial edict, and his retinue, there were also several wealthy people and their families who had tried to escape earlier, as well as twenty or thirty hunters, and thirty or forty Daoist and Buddhist practitioners.
Among these twenty or thirty Daoist and Buddhist practitioners, there were some disciples of prestigious families, as well as many independent cultivators.
Among them, the most profound cultivator was Pen Xiaoxiao and Fang Zhen.
Both Pen Xiaoxiao and Fang Zhen were renowned high Taoists or high monks during the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties period.
Later, Pen Xiaoxiao was repeatedly summoned by the King of Shu, Meng Chuang, to ask about the ways to achieve eternal life and longevity. He was also granted the title of 'Yue Luan' and appointed as the Director of the Ministry of Rites.
Fang Zhen was no less impressive. In the first year of Guangtian in the Former Shu Dynasty, the emperor wanted to grant him a purple robe and the title of "Shen Zhao Master." This senior monk, however, was deeply devoted to Buddhism and respectfully declined the emperor's offer.
Of course, at that time, Peng Xiaoxiao and Fang Zhen had not yet reached the status they later gained.
Their upper-level master's strength was definitely not weak, but they were still no match for the ghost general and the tens of thousands of ghosts surrounding them. In the end, they became prisoners.
Although Peng Xiaoxiao and Fang Zhen were powerful in their magic, at this moment, they shared the same feelings as Tian Lingzi and others—deep despair.
Yesterday, after they were captured, the ghost general and the four ghost generals came to consume their vitality, and also indicated that they would nurture them well so that they could daily consume their vitality.
From dignified human beings to "livestock" that are siphoned of their life energy by ghost kings and generals.
How could it not fill Peng Xiaoxiao, Fang Zhen, Tian Lingzi, and others with deep despair?
However, just as these people were filled with infinite despair, a thunderous and earth-shattering explosion suddenly sounded outside.
Peng Xiaoxiao, Fang Zhen, and other Daoist and Buddhist practitioners had not yet figured out what was happening.
Tian Lingzi, however, burst out in joy and excitement, "It must be Master Chen Pu, the immortal! I heard that Master Chen is especially skilled in thunder magic. When I was trapped earlier, I had someone seek Master Chen at Qingcheng Mountain for help. Now that there is thunder, it must be Master Chen coming to save our lives!"
Chen Pu.
Is the powerful Chen Pu, who has slain the disciple master of the Yin Shan Sect, Ye Wuji, arrived?
Peng Xiaoxiao and Fang Zhen looked at each other, both seeing joy in their various eyes.
As they knew how terrifying Yin Wuji was, they didn't need others to tell them.
In terms of cultivation, Ye Wuji may have only been on par with them, not particularly strong.
However, Peng Xiaoxiao and Fang Zhen knew that the Yin Mountain Sect was skilled in binding spirits and commanding generals.
Ye Wuji's forces numbered over a thousand, all of them being ferocious, undead generals.
Given that he could kill Ye Wuji's elite forces, it goes without saying that this person is formidable.
Now that Chen Pu has arrived here?
Peng Xiaoxiao and Fang Zhen, and other cultivators, secretly excited, thinking that they might really be able to escape from this predicament.
Indeed, though they had never seen Chen Yun in person, his reputation was as loud as thunder, giving them confidence and hope of escape!
(Chapter ends)
