Chapter 107: Gui Xu Reflects the Mortal World in Myriad Forms
The Chaos Qi gushing from the Gate of Gui Xu swept Lu Qingyang into the abyss, and the crisp sound of bronze chains breaking mingled with the whistling wind in his ears. He forced his eyes open and saw Su Meiniang’s ring erupting with blood-red threads, like a spiderweb, entangling Ao Lie’s Dragon horns. Yin Jiuyou, the Witch Clan Elder’s bone staff, was plunged into the center of the Mysterious Grey Robed Man’s crimson lotus pattern—these four forces maintained a delicate balance even as they fell.
“You all are quite infatuated!” Lu Qingyang coughed up a mouthful of clotted blood, streaked with golden threads, like a blooming blood flower. The Qingming Sword, like a Dragon emerging from the sea, flicked away a bronze fragment that was almost upon him. As the fragment flashed across Ao Qin’s cheek like lightning, the Scarlet Flood Dragon Prince’s pupils suddenly narrowed, like two burning flames. His Dragon Bloodline allowed him to clearly see the micro-engraving on the fragment, like a hawk: at the bottom of Gui Xu was a bronze city, its streets and alleys laid out identically to Tianji City, which had been destroyed three hundred years prior, like two twin bright pearls.
The Mysterious Grey Robed Man suddenly cut the blood-red threads wrapped around his wrist, and his bone flute played a variation of the “Breaking the Array Music.” The Chaos Qi responded by splitting to both sides, revealing the altar in the center of the city below—in the eye sockets of the twelve Ancestral Witch statues on the altar, flickered an eerie flame, originating from the same blood talisman in Lu Qingyang’s chest. Yin Jiuyou’s withered face twitched violently: “The Witch Altar! This… how is this possible!”
Su Meiniang suddenly chuckled and tore off half a sleeve. The fragments of her Jiao Xiao transformed into spirit butterflies and flew towards the altar. When the first red butterfly struck the forehead of a statue, the entire bronze city rumbled with the sound of mechanisms turning. Smoke rose simultaneously from the four gates to the east, west, south, and north. The ethereal figures emerging from the smoke made Ao Lie’s Dragon scales stand on end: the linen-robed old man who walked out of the East Gate held a measuring heaven ruler, none other than the Star-Gazing Tower Lord who had fallen sixty years ago; the purple-robed Cultivator who appeared at the West Gate rode a Azure Luan, clearly the previous Pavilion Master of Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion!
“Gui Xu reflects the Mortal World; everyone, be careful.” The Mysterious Grey Robed Man stepped on the lotus pattern and leaped towards the North Gate. The bronze compass he flung from his sleeve fit perfectly with the fragment in Lu Qingyang’s embrace. At this moment, a crisp bell sound came from the South Gate, and a flower girl with a bronze mask emerged with a basket. Curled within the mandrake stamens in her basket was a miniature Drunken Old Man of the South Sea.
Lu Qingyang’s heart clenched; so many fallen powerhouses were reflected within Gui Xu. At this moment, the linen-robed old man raised his measuring heaven ruler and smashed it down fiercely at everyone. Star power seemed to surge from the ruler, tearing the very air. The purple-robed Cultivator chanted incantations, and the Azure Luan flapped its wings, a torrent of green flames sweeping forth. The flower girl plucked a mandrake flower and threw it, its petals instantly transforming into sharp blades that shot towards everyone.
Ao Lie swung his Dragon tail, stirring up a gale that blocked the flames. Su Meiniang formed hand seals, and the spirit butterflies converged into a shield, blocking the blades. Yin Jiuyou wielded his bone staff, chanting Witch Clan incantations, and a black light barrier rose, blocking the attack of the measuring heaven ruler.
Meanwhile, the Mysterious Grey Robed Man, taking advantage of everyone defending against the attacks, swiftly rushed towards the altar, seemingly to activate some ritual. Lu Qingyang roared, and the Qingming Sword transformed into a streak of green light, slashing towards the Mysterious Grey Robed Man. Just as the sword was about to touch the Mysterious Grey Robed Man, he transformed into a wisp of smoke and dissipated, reappearing at the top of the altar the next moment, beginning to chant a mysterious incantation. The bronze city’s light grew even more dazzling, and a greater crisis seemed to be quietly descending…
Lu Qingyang took the opportunity to roll into a roadside tavern. The proprietress, wiping wine bowls behind the counter, raised her eyelids—reflected in her double pupils was none other than the Loose Cultivator Alliance Leader, whom he had swindled out of Dragon Marrow Jade three days prior. “Does the guest want Apricot Blossom Brew or Heartbreak Soup?” The wine jar she tapped with her fingertip suddenly exploded, and the splashing liquid condensed in mid-air into four seal characters: “Life and death are fated.”
“Sister, this wine…” He flung out the Qingming Sword, deflecting the poison, but the sword tip stuck to a half-scroll of “Gui Xu Chronicles” in a hidden compartment on the counter. “Add some Dragon Blood for more kick!” A swarm of Food-Eating Ants took the opportunity to gnaw through the floor, revealing a bronze wall in the underground tunnel, covered with erotic carvings—these intertwined human figures actually formed a complete Zhou Tian Star Array diagram.
The entire city suddenly shook violently. The Ancestral Witch statues on the altar began to rotate. The artifacts held in the palm of each statue resonated with the people present: the axe blade of the axe-wielding Ancestral Witch reflected Ao Lie’s Natal Dragon Pearl; the cauldron pattern of the cauldron-holding Ancestral Witch perfectly overlapped with Su Meiniang’s ring; and the staff head of the staff-wielding Ancestral Witch was precisely embedded with the missing half of the Mysterious Grey Robed Man’s compass.
Just as everyone was astonished, cracks appeared in the bronze city’s ground, and thick Chaos Qi surged out of them. The ethereal figures of the fallen powerhouses actually began to fuse, forming a gigantic monster emanating a terrifying aura. Its body was woven from various strange lights, and each of its tentacles seemed to contain destructive power.
Ao Lie roared, his entire body of Dragon scales shimmering. His Natal Dragon Pearl flew out from the axe blade, transforming into a golden beam of light that charged towards the monster. Su Meiniang’s ring glowed brightly, countless spirit butterflies swirling around her, then shooting towards the monster like a rain of arrows. Yin Jiuyou wielded his bone staff, chanting ancient Witch Clan forbidden curses, and black runes flickered around the monster.
Lu Qingyang, holding the Qingming Sword, stepped into the Void Realm and charged towards the Mysterious Grey Robed Man. The Mysterious Grey Robed Man, however, remained unhurried, continuing to chant the incantation. Streaks of mysterious power surged from the altar, blocking Lu Qingyang’s attack.
Just as the battle entered a fierce stage, a huge rift suddenly appeared in the sky of the bronze city, and a mysterious beam of light shot down, enveloping everyone and the monster…
“So that’s it!” Lu Qingyang tore open his blood-stained lapel, and the blood talisman in his chest transformed into a stream of light that merged into the altar. Twelve streaks of blood-red light shot into the sky, interweaving into a River Luo Star Map in the dome. The flower girl’s bronze mask shattered in response, revealing the Drunken Old Man of the South Sea’s hazy, drunken face: “Boy, you owe this old man those snake fangs; it’s time to pay up!”
