Chapter 109: Qingfu Blood, Guiding the Netherworld
The scent of sulfur from deep within the earth's veins, mingled with ancient, sealed Dragon's Saliva Incense, condensed into crimson dewdrops in the bronze passage. As Lu Qingyang's boot crushed a corpse beetle crawling out of a pile of dry bones, the bronze moss dormant in the cracks of the stone suddenly bloomed with blue light, illuminating the continuous 'Hundred Gu Feeding Spirit Diagrams' on the rock walls on both sides—the insects, drawn with cinnabar mixed with peacock gall, were devouring the souls of Cultivators in the murals.
"Scatter the Red Scale Powder three zhang away!" Su Meiniang flung out seven poisoned silver shuttles, pinning down the wriggling moss. The blood threads bursting from her ring strung the pouncing corpse beetles together like candied haws. When these venomous insects, whose carapaces were carved with Witch Tribe incantations, exploded, the splattering dark green liquid corroded the bronze ground, causing green smoke to rise. The smoke columns condensed into the shape of a three-legged golden toad in mid-air.
The moment Ao Lie's Dragon claw tore open the misty miasma, the trembling sound of chimes playing 'Soul Summoning' came from the end of the passage. Eighteen human-skin lanterns lit up one after another, revealing an Innate Bagua array formed by Qingfu Coins scattered across the floor. Each copper coin's hole was threaded with ice silkworm silk as fine as hair, the other end of the silk disappearing into the mouths of the sleeping bronze corpses in the wall.
"This is a Corpse-Raising Formation of the Southern Border Gu Mother." Yin Jiuyou's bone staff struck the ground, shaking three copper coins. The four characters "Heavenly Treasure Communicates with Spirits" engraved on the coin faces suddenly seeped blood beads. "Qingfu Coins fed with living human essence blood can guide Netherworld Ghost Messengers to clear the way." Before he finished speaking, barbed soul-binding threads had already drilled out of the seven orifices of the bronze corpses. The threads wove into a net, trapping everyone. Seeing this, Lu Qingyang drew his sword and slashed at the soul-binding threads, but the threads were exceptionally tough, and the sword itself was cut with nicks. Su Meiniang, meanwhile, chanted incantations, rapidly forming hand Seals. A purple light shot out from her palm, attempting to dispel the soul-binding threads. But when the light touched the threads, it was like a mud ox entering the sea, having no effect.
Ao Lie roared, his Dragon scales shimmering, and he exhaled a breath of Dragon Qi. The scorching flames instantly burned through some of the soul-binding threads. But more soul-binding threads surged out from the bronze corpses, filling the gaps.
Yin Jiuyou frowned deeply. He plunged his bone staff into the ground and chanted an ancient incantation. Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and earthen spikes drilled out from underground, piercing some of the bronze corpses. Yet, those bronze corpses seemed to feel no pain, continuing to spew out soul-binding threads.
Just as everyone was in a predicament, Lu Qingyang suddenly realized that the Qingfu Coins seemed to be the key to the entire Corpse-Raising Formation. He shouted, "Destroy the Qingfu Coins first!" Hearing this, everyone turned their attacks towards the Qingfu Coins. As the Qingfu Coins were destroyed one by one, the offensive of the soul-binding threads gradually weakened, and the bronze corpses also began to sway.
The compass in Lu Qingyang's arms trembled violently, its needle pointing to a taotie pattern jade pendant hanging from the waist of a certain bronze corpse. He swung his sword, cutting three soul-binding threads. The moment the sword's edge touched the jade pendant, the entire passage suddenly echoed with the roar of countless poisonous Gu insects flapping their wings. The Hundred Gu from the murals broke through the wall, yet they strangely hovered three inches from his throat.
Just as everyone felt a slight sense of relief, the remaining venomous Gu insects actually merged together, forming a giant Gu Beast. The Gu Beast radiated an eerie light around its body. It opened its gaping maw and lunged towards everyone. Su Meiniang, quick-witted, threw a string of flaming meteor hammers, smashing them into the Gu Beast. Ao Lie was not to be outdone, once again exhaling Dragon Qi, which intertwined with the flames and swept towards the Gu Beast.
Yin Jiuyou, meanwhile, controlled earthen spikes, stabbing at the Gu Beast from all directions. Lu Qingyang, taking advantage of the Gu Beast being attacked, channeled all his spiritual power and thrust his sword at the Gu Beast's vital point. However, the Gu Beast was thick-skinned and tough-fleshed; the sword blade merely grazed its surface. The Gu Beast cried out in pain, swept its tail, and sent everyone flying.
Just as the Gu Beast was about to launch another attack, the Mysterious Grey Robed Man suddenly shouted, "With the Lu Bloodline as the guide, break!" He formed a hand Seal, and a mysterious Talismanic Incantation flew from his palm, merging into Lu Qingyang's blood. Lu Qingyang felt power surging within him, and the sword in his hand radiated a dazzling light. He swung his sword again, and a powerful Sword Qi slashed at the Gu Beast. The Gu Beast was instantly cut in half, transforming into countless poisonous Gu insects and dissipating into the air. The passage returned to calm, and everyone exchanged glances, continuing deeper into the unknown.
Ao Qin suddenly grunted and knelt, the bronze fragment in his hand so hot it scorched the flesh of his palm. The micro-carved city on the fragment revealed bloody patterns, resonating with the Nine Palaces Grid that suddenly appeared beneath everyone's feet. Eighteen bronze corpses simultaneously opened their eyes, the rotating swastika symbols in their pupils dyeing the soul-binding threads golden. The fierce wind generated as the net of threads contracted cut Bloodlines on Su Meiniang's neck.
Just as everyone was astonished by the appearance of the bronze figurines, the devoured Qingfu Coins actually emitted bursts of faint light, and the previously contracting soul-binding threads suddenly paused. And those eighteen bronze corpses, under the shroud of the faint light, slowly turned their bodies, targeting the bronze figurines. For a time, the bronze corpses and the bronze figurines engaged in a fierce battle, with sparks flying as the soul-binding threads collided with the bronze figurines' fists and feet.
Lu Qingyang seized the opportunity to shout, "Now, let's find a way to break the situation!" Hearing this, everyone began to act. Yin Jiuyou chanted incantations again, attempting to find clues from underground; Su Meiniang used silver needles to detect the surrounding Qi; Ao Lie transformed into a giant Dragon, observing the whole situation from above. Lu Qingyang, meanwhile, stared intently at the taotie pattern jade pendant, pondering its mysteries. Suddenly, the jade pendant emitted a strong light, illuminating a wall on which a line of ancient text appeared. Lu Qingyang fixed his gaze, seemingly finding the key to breaking the situation…
Lu Qingyang charged forward, stepping on the embers of the fire crows. His sword tip flicked three Qingfu Coins, embedding them into the Tan Zhong acupoint of the corpse in the Xun position. The crisp sound of the copper coins entering the body triggered a chain reaction; the eighteen bronze corpses began to twitch with a strange rhythm, and the phosphorescent fire spewing from their joints ignited the soul-binding threads. The phantom of a Ghost Messenger, emerging in the flames, raised its mourning stick, but suddenly disintegrated when its gaze met Lu Qingyang's blood-stained eyes.
"So that's how it is!" Yin Jiuyou bit his tongue and sprayed blood on his bone staff. The blue light shooting from the Kui Niu's eyeball enveloped the entire Nine Palaces Grid. "The Qingfu Coins need to be combined with the blood of a Lu family member to break the situation." His staff tip pointed at Lu Qingyang's back, forcing out three drops of essence blood that landed on the Li, Zhen, and Dui trigram positions. The moment the essence blood dropped, the Nine Palaces Grid glowed brightly, Talismanic Incantations flickered, and the previously trembling bronze corpses moved even more violently, the soul-binding threads sizzling as they burned.
Suddenly, a huge black vortex rose from the center of the Nine Palaces Grid. The roar of evil spirits faintly came from within the vortex. Yin Jiuyou shouted, "Oh no, this has opened a deeper Seal, something more powerful is about to emerge!" Lu Qingyang gripped the sword in his hand, his eyes resolute, ready to face the unknown challenge. Su Meiniang quickly pulled out several Talismanic Incantations from her bosom, chanted incantations, and the Talismanic Incantations transformed into light, protecting everyone.
Ao Lie also took a stance, his Dragon might overflowing. Just then, a huge ghost claw extended from the vortex, fiercely grabbing at Lu Qingyang. Lu Qingyang dodged sideways, swinging his sword at the ghost claw. The blade collided with the ghost claw, splashing black sparks. The ghost claw retracted into the vortex, followed by a giant evil spirit slowly crawling out of the vortex. Its body was like a mountain, its face ferocious, exuding a chilling aura. Everyone stood ready, a fierce battle with the evil spirit was about to erupt.
The entire underground palace suddenly echoed with the sound of surging river water. The liquid formed by the melted bronze corpses seeped into the ground cracks, converging before everyone into a Nether River about a zhang wide. Floating on the river were bronze lotus pedestals carrying a crystal coffin. The cinnabar mole on the forehead of the woman in the coffin was identical to the blood marrow jade on Su Meiniang's ring.
"The first Saintess of the Chijiao Guard?" The electric light bursting from Ao Lie's Dragon horns illuminated the inscription on the coffin. "The portrait enshrined in the Ao clan's ancestral temple..." He reached out to touch the crystal coffin, but the sudden cold Qi that burst from the coffin lid froze half of his arm. The xuanming heavy water gushing from the coffin instantly covered everyone's ankles. In the water, countless bronze hands reached out to grab the souls of the living.
Lu Qingyang's compass flew autonomously above the coffin at this moment. After spinning wildly, its needle pointed to Su Meiniang. The blood threads shooting from her ring uncontrollably wrapped around the crystal coffin. Dragon scale patterns appeared in the suddenly opened eyes of the woman in the coffin. The entire Nether River began to boil, and a forest of bronze steles rising from the riverbed was carved with the names of successive Chijiao Guard leaders. Mercury dripped from each name.
"By blood as a covenant, by soul as a sacrifice!" The Mysterious Grey Robed Man suddenly bit his finger and drew a Talismanic Incantation in the Void Realm. The moment the blood Talismanic Incantation imprinted on the crystal coffin, Su Meiniang's ring shattered into powder. The splashing blood marrow jade fragments cut Ao Lie's cheek, and where the Dragon blood dripped, all the names on the stele forest changed to "Ao Guang."
Bronze stalactites began to fall from the ceiling of the underground palace. The essence souls of Yao Beasts were sealed within each stalactite. When Yin Jiuyou's bone staff shattered a certain stalactite, the released essence soul of the E' Beast flew directly at Lu Qingyang's face. This Yao Beast, skilled in lying, let out a scream the moment it touched his skin, turning into green smoke and submerging into the center of the compass.
The waters of the Nether River suddenly rolled back, forming a vortex above the crystal coffin. A bronze door appearing in the center of the vortex slowly opened, and bronze chains extending from the crack in the door wrapped around Ao Lie and Su Meiniang. Lu Qingyang's sword edge struck the chains, sparking, but each spark transformed into an Iron-Eating Beast, gnawing at the Talismanic Incantations on the door.
When the first wisp of Nether Qi leaked out of the bronze door, the entire underground palace suddenly plunged into absolute darkness. Everyone heard the crisp sound of Lu Qingyang's compass breaking in half, followed by the splash of a heavy object falling into the water. The Drunken Old Man of the South Sea's lit fire starter illuminated the water, revealing hundreds of bronze corpses clad in Chijiao armor rising from the Nether River.