Chapter 185: Demons, Gods, and Spirits Assemble
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The small courtyard was desolate. Moss crept over the stone steps, and the walls were veiled in climbing vines. It was quiet here, a sanctuary from the noise and turmoil of the mysterious small town.
Wu Yao Zu’s eyes were bloodshot, and tears clung to his thick beard, revealing his reluctance to part.
“Why are you crying? Once you get out into the world and find yourself a wife, you’ll forget all about your grandma,” the old lady teased with a chuckle.
She took a jade medallion carved with a deity’s image and hung it around Yao Zu’s neck, instructing him never to remove it during his journey.
Her gaze then shifted to Qin Ming. “That piece of cloth you carry—I can’t discern its origins, but it’s no ordinary item. Keep it close. You’ll need it for the journey ahead.”
Qin Ming understood immediately. Somewhere along the path, they would likely encounter supernatural disturbances, and the cloth was essential for warding off malevolent forces.
“Grandma, you have to collect my debts for me later,” Yao Zu grumbled. “Those old scoundrels claimed they didn’t have their stakes with them and promised to pay next time.”
“I’ve got it covered,” she reassured him with a nod.
The peculiar town was a hub of trade, where information was the most sought-after commodity. Following that came soul medicines, martial arts techniques, and other unusual exchanges.
Suddenly, a surge of violet light shot out from the divine temple, accompanied by deafening thunder. The sheer might of it was terrifying, causing even the most seasoned veterans to pale.
“Is it coming for us?”
“What’s happening? Why does it feel like we’re the target?”
“Ah! I’m done for! This divine wrath is going to pierce my very soul!” someone wailed.
Chaos erupted. A four-tusked white elephant collapsed, and the golden-haired elder atop it was struck by a violet divine rod, leaving him charred and trembling.
It was a disaster that spared no one. They hadn’t provoked the temple, yet they were under attack. Why?
Above the town, purple clouds engulfed the skies. Lightning bolts rained down continuously, while a divine bronze weapon darted through the air, diving toward its chosen prey.
The stronger individuals drew the most intense strikes, and the air filled with screams as people fled in disarray.
Amidst the turmoil, one formidable elder stood out. He endured multiple strikes from the violet bronze weapon, and though battered, he rose swiftly each time.
“Enough. That’s sufficient,” a black-robed figure inside the temple declared.
As evening approached, the journey began. Qin Ming and Yao Zu departed at noon under the old lady’s escort. Her protective presence would see them safely out of the town.
The path was shrouded in crimson mist, where unearthly noises echoed—screams, chilling laughter, and sobs reverberated through the thick air. Shadows loomed in the blood-colored fog, inching closer, but the old lady’s divine light held them at bay. Without her, Qin Ming and Yao Zu wouldn’t have made it far.
“This is horrifying!” Yao Zu exclaimed, his local roots offering no solace.
A giant black claw, its talons dripping with blood, reached toward them. Each talon was several meters long, but as it touched the divine light emanating from the old lady, it burst into flames with a hiss, retreating amid agonized roars.
Qin Ming’s expression hardened. The journey was far more perilous than anticipated. Without the old lady’s protection, they wouldn’t survive.
Moments later, a massive head, over ten meters long, emerged from the mist. Its ghastly pale face came alarmingly close, its grotesque tongue ready to devour them. The old lady’s divine light pierced it, reducing the monstrosity to a bloody explosion.
Around them, countless towering figures moved, their sheer size dwarfing mountains. Each swipe of a claw or wave of a limb cast vast shadows across the blood-red mist.
The air thickened with the stench of decay and the sound of colossal footsteps. Rocks weighing hundreds of pounds bounced with each tremor.
The scene was apocalyptic, as if gods, spirits, and demons were parading in chaotic revelry. Ordinary people would have no chance of surviving such a nightmare.
The old lady scolded, her voice unwavering. “You’ve all been dead for centuries! Why torment the living? Back when the Fourth Forbidden Land was breached, you cowered like chickens before being slaughtered. And now you dare to show off?”
Qin Ming shivered at her words. The size and ferocity of these creatures hinted at their past strength. Yet, even they had been powerless against the unknown force that had broken through the Fourth Forbidden Land.
The old lady’s presence was like a divine beacon. Her pure yang light illuminated the path, driving back or incinerating every monstrous figure they encountered.
Demons and spirits wept as grotesque entities of all shapes and sizes filled the blood-red mist. The atmosphere felt like a journey through hell itself.
Even Yao Zu, usually brash, was unnerved. “Is this really my hometown? Were my ancestors all like this? Gigantic and terrifying?”
They pressed forward without speaking, focusing solely on escaping the nightmare. Finally, they reached the edge of the Fourth Forbidden Land.
Here, the old lady stopped. She couldn’t go any farther, restrained by an invisible force binding her to the forbidden land. Faint chains seemed to stretch from her back, taut and unyielding.
“Grandma!” Yao Zu cried, tears streaming down his face.
“Silly boy, don’t worry about me. This is my home and my anchor. It keeps me from losing myself,” she said with a tender smile.
She wiped away his tears, then turned to Qin Ming. “Take care of Yao Zu for two months. He’s adaptable and will adjust to the outside world quickly.”
Qin Ming nodded solemnly. “You have my word.”
The old lady handed them a map and detailed instructions, warning them not to stray from the marked path. Even outside the forbidden land, dangers lurked.
“There may be challenges, but nothing insurmountable. Move forward boldly and don’t let fear hold you back,” she encouraged, waving them off.
As Qin Ming and Yao Zu stepped past the boundary, the oppressive atmosphere lifted. The monstrous shadows and ghostly wails vanished, replaced by serene chirping from distant insects.
As Qin Ming and Wu Yao Zu glanced back, the night wind rustled through the forest, the faint whisper of leaves echoing in the distance. Farther away, mountain ranges stretched endlessly under the dim moonlight.
They turned and walked forward, soon entering the forest. Strangely, the path they followed wasn’t the one they had taken earlier. The Fourth Forbidden Land had simply vanished behind them as if it had never existed.
“All the mysteries and the unknowns we encounter—they’re just because we’re not strong enough yet,” Qin Ming said calmly. “The only answer is to focus on cultivating ourselves.”
“Yeah!” Wu Yao Zu nodded firmly. In his heart, he made a silent vow: once he was strong enough, he would return to this place with his wife to visit his grandmother.
Without hesitation, Yao Zu shaved off his beard. As he worked, his appearance began to transform—his sturdy frame became slightly taller, and his black hair fell away, replaced by short golden locks. This was his true form—solidly built, with sharp, angular features. While he wasn’t classically handsome, he radiated strength and determination.
In the mysterious small town, no one revealed their true face.
“What are your plans now?” Qin Ming asked.
“I’m going with you to Kun Lun Great City,” Yao Zu replied. “My grandma said the Rainbow Transformation Path isn’t a viable road. Treating the body as a prison is flawed. I need to see the techniques and teachings from the other academies and dao grounds.”
Qin Ming nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve long suspected that the moon inside the Fourth Forbidden Land isn’t real. Attempting to ascend to it through rainbow transformation might not be wise.”
“You’re right,” Yao Zu agreed, sighing. “The practice of harnessing the body to carry rainbow light originated from that moon. In the end, what comes from there returns to there.”
At that moment, Qin Ming’s body began to emit a faint glow, growing hot as his eighth awakening was underway. He had been drinking celestial light liquid since they were still in the dilapidated courtyard. Now, he took out a five-colored bottle and gulped down another mouthful. Lightning-like energy coursed through his veins, bathing him in radiant light.
Wu Yao Zu winced at the sight. “Grandma said that stuff is meant for refining spiritual artifacts and rare treasures. Are you sure guzzling it like this is safe?”
“It tastes amazing!” Qin Ming grinned despite the burning sensation in his stomach. The pain was intense, but the unmistakable feeling of his body strengthening with each moment filled him with joy.
“This celestial light liquid is an invaluable elixir for me,” Qin Ming declared, his excitement apparent.
The liquid from the five-colored bottle contained rare spiritual substances that not only fueled his eighth awakening but also perfected his cultivation of celestial light techniques. Filtered through treasures like the three-colored spirit flower and five-colored spiritual branch, its potency was undeniable.
As they traveled, Qin Ming steadily “digested” the celestial light liquid. His organs burned, his flesh purified, and his strength grew, every part of him transforming.
Suddenly, both of them stiffened. Following the path mapped by Yao Zu’s grandmother, they encountered ruins teeming with ghostly shadows.
The air grew oppressive. Terrifying wails filled their ears, accompanied by a piercing, mind-numbing shriek that made their heads throb.
With a bright flash, the jade medallion around Yao Zu’s neck lit up. To their astonishment, the deity carved on it resembled Yao Zu’s grandmother herself. The divine light incinerated the surrounding darkness, scattering anguished cries through the air.
Yet the land remained heavy with resentment and malice. Every village they passed seemed overrun by ghosts, swarming toward them with howls of rage.
Qin Ming drew the cloth woven with exotic metal from his possessions. Infusing it with celestial light force, he conjured the image of a blazing sun, illuminating the surroundings and reducing the haunting figures to ashes.
“There aren’t any ghosts—just residual malice and illusions. Let’s push forward!” Qin Ming urged. They navigated through rubble, ashes, and crumbling walls, remnants of villages and towns once destroyed at the edge of the Fourth Forbidden Land.
Despite their efforts, fatigue began to set in. The encounters grew increasingly bizarre. One night, while resting along the path, they noticed a black-dressed woman hanging from an ancient tree, swaying back and forth. The mental pressure she exerted nearly caused them to collapse.
Their journey took them past a mountain god’s temple, where their consciousnesses inexplicably left their bodies. They fought a monstrous entity that had taken residence there, barely escaping with their lives after setting the ancient structure ablaze.
“This was supposed to be the safest route!” Yao Zu exclaimed, horrified by the trials they’d endured. “What kind of horrors would we face if we strayed?”
Even now, they remained trapped at the border of the forbidden land. Shadows loomed, the air thick with yin energy. Bones and broken remains lay scattered, partially buried in the dark soil.
“Qin Ming, is there something on my back?” Yao Zu asked nervously. “I feel like something jumped onto me, but I can’t touch it.”
Qin Ming saw nothing but sensed a cluster of black light, seething with resentment. Without hesitation, he unleashed celestial light force, the brilliance burning away the dark entity in a flash of flame and a shriek of agony.
The relief was short-lived. Qin Ming’s neck suddenly tightened, an invisible force choking him.
“Your neck—it’s black!” Yao Zu shouted. He summoned a surge of rainbow light, sweeping it forward to dispel the malice.
“It’s a stubborn one,” Qin Ming growled. Before him, the figure of an old man appeared, shrouded in black smoke and wielding iron chains that wrapped around Qin Ming’s throat.
Breaking the chains was no easy feat. As they finally severed the bindings, a powerful force tore their spirits from their bodies, leaving them vulnerable and adrift.
Fortunately, Wu Yao Zu’s expertise in Rainbow Transformation allowed his consciousness to leave his body, while Qin Ming utilized his celestial light force to carry his awareness out. Together, they engaged the old man’s blackened remnant of consciousness in a desperate struggle.
With a final explosive clash, the dark specter was shattered, its remnants dissipating into nothingness.
“Hey, Yao Zu,” Qin Ming said, sitting on the ground and gasping for breath, “do you think some of these malevolent spirits might be your ancestors?”
Wu Yao Zu lay flat on the ground, his chest rising and falling heavily as he groaned, “Don’t even go there. Right now, I don’t see ancestors—just a bunch of demons and ghosts!”
The two forced themselves back on their feet and resumed their journey. As they pressed on, a paper boat drifted silently through the night sky above them. The sight froze them in place, their breaths caught in their throats.
On the boat sat a disheveled woman, her hair unkempt and her presence emanating an overwhelming aura of resentment. Her blackened remnant consciousness shone like a dark sun, so oppressive it felt like their very flesh would begin to decay if they stayed exposed.
She glanced down and noticed the jade medallion hanging around Wu Yao Zu’s neck. “A descendant of an old acquaintance, is it? Very well,” she muttered, her voice as cold as the grave. The paper boat floated onward, carrying her away.
“The outside world is terrifying! I want to go home!” Wu Yao Zu exclaimed in despair.
Qin Ming corrected him, “This isn’t the outside world. This is still your ancestor’s land—the towns where they lived. We’re barely at the edge of the Fourth Forbidden Land.”
Spurred by the reminder, they broke into a desperate run, eager to leave the cursed region.
Suddenly, the sound of cheerful music filled the air ahead, like the lively accompaniment of a wedding procession.
Both men froze, their instincts screaming danger. In their experience, the stranger the situation, the more perilous it was.
“The auspicious hour has come, but the groom died halfway here. What shall we do?” A sorrowful voice wailed from afar.
Exchanging a glance, Qin Ming and Wu Yao Zu immediately turned to flee.
In the distance, they caught sight of a red sedan chair carrying a bride. She wasn’t surrounded by a dark or golden glow as one might expect. Instead, her aura was a piercing, icy silver—blinding and more intense than anything they had ever encountered.
Even from a great distance, the oppressive force emanating from the sedan chair was almost unbearable.
But escape was not an option. A slender, snow-white hand reached out from the sedan chair, and with a casual flick, the two men were flung backward through the air.
“Grandma, open your eyes!” Wu Yao Zu yelled, hastily pulling out the jade medallion from around his neck.
He then called out to the bride, desperation in his voice, “Old ancestor, we’re family! Look at this medallion—you recognize it, don’t you?”
Qin Ming was stunned as his gaze fell on the endless procession following the sedan chair. It stretched as far as the eye could see, an overwhelming, suffocating spectacle.
As they hurtled closer to the red sedan chair, Wu Yao Zu panicked. “We’re relatives! I can’t be the groom—I’m from the Wu family!”
With a loud thud, he crashed to the ground, gasping for air.
Qin Ming, equally alarmed, shouted, “We’re on the same side! I’m also from a Forbidden Land!”
“We are from the First Forbidden Land, just passing through,” an elderly voice echoed from the procession.
“Why do you have a token on you?” the bride’s cold voice rang out from within the sedan chair.
“I don’t!” Qin Ming protested, his panic rising as he realized he was being pulled ever closer to the ominous red sedan chair.