Chapter 249: An Ancient Devil's Sudden Emergence

The empty city of Fengdu shook. Outside its walls, flames raged across the land and reached up to the sky. Explosions echoed from all directions.

On top of the city walls and beyond the gates, the ghost soldiers watched silently. Although they possessed spiritual intelligence, they only knew how to fight; they had no capacity for understanding or thought.

The bomber squadron dropped all of its bombs across the barren land between Fengdu City and the ravine as swiftly as possible, causing violent explosions that lasted for half a minute. The ghostly horde, which had already lost over thirty percent of its numbers, was nearly wiped out. Fewer than one in ten survived.

Qing Yanzi raised a hand, making the two elders of the Hidden Earth Sect gently shake the Black and White Ghost Banners in their hands. Tens of thousands of ghost soldiers leaped down from the walls in unison and surged forward like a black tide.

"Form teams of three, fellow Daoist and Buddhist masters," Qing Yanzi instructed clearly. "Eliminate the remaining malevolent ghosts and clean up the battlefield. We will regroup in front of the city gates."

The eleven responded affirmatively. Mu Wanxuan naturally remained beside her master, and Yan Zhengnan accompanied them.

As the female soldier from the Special Warfare Unit at the transfer station had reported to Wang Sheng, the situation was under control. The tactical goal was being reached in an orderly fashion.

Having emptied their payloads, the bombers began their return. The supply line from the transfer station to this location was overly long, posing a significant risk.

Meanwhile, the twelve cultivators began destroying the remaining black-skinned malevolent ghosts that had somehow survived the carpet bombing. In death, the ghosts turned into clouds of black mist composed of remnant souls, baleful aura, and yin qi. Seemingly finding it unusual, one of the senior monks studied the direction that the mists drifted.

He frowned slightly. "

Amitabha.

That's weird. Why are the fragments of these fierce spirits gathering at the Eighteen Levels of Hell instead of dissipating completely?"

The second elder of the Hidden Earth Sect paused to consider, then replied solemnly, "The Eighteen Levels of Hell contain many hidden mysteries. These remnant souls are likely being drawn in to repair the damaged grand array within."

Hearing their conversation, several Daoist masters also noticed the abnormality. When the fierce spirits were bombed, they had already observed the black smoke gather into clouds and drift into the Eighteen Levels of Hell, where it was absorbed.

The phenomenon was unsettling. However, the Eighteen Levels of Hell had since quieted down again. Since no terrifying ghosts had reappeared, the Daoist masters gradually set aside their unease.

They still had to descend into the Eighteen Levels of Hell to investigate. The path into the lower layers was located inside them, after all, and a barrier blocked anyone trying to climb down through the ravines at either side.

The truth of what lay beneath would soon be revealed.

Qing Yanzi said, "Everyone, return to the gate for now and rest. Once we have fully recovered, we will immediately head into the Eighteen Levels of Hell."

"I like that plan. We don't know when the next burst of immortal light might appear."

"Nor do we know whether anything unusual is happening outside the Nether Gate."

"We'll find out soon enough." Qing Yanzi raised his left arm. The wristband on his arm was flashing with a green indicator light.

Mu Wanxuan blinked curiously. She seemed to have a similar wristband but had long since lost track of where it was.

Soon, Qing Yanzi and the others had returned to the gates of Fengdu City, contacted the transfer station, and confirmed that the overall situation was still under their control. The twelve then settled on the tower above the gates to meditate and replenish their enchanted power.

Among them, Mu Wanxuan was recovering the fastest. In just a few moments, she had completely recovered. Her disc-shaped Golden Core was particularly efficient.

The others had to take their time, especially Qing Yanzi. Though his Pure Yang Qi was strong and forceful, drawing enough primal qi in the underworld was a true challenge.

Half an hour passed. Tens of thousands of ghost soldiers assembled before the city, silently awaiting their fate.

"Have Mount Mao and the Longhu Mountains managed to preserve the art of summoning talisman soldiers?" Qing Yanzi asked.

Zhang Zikuang smiled. "It is recorded in the Celestial Master Secret Scrolls, but only immortals can use it. Mount Mao's Daoist heritage should also include something similar."

Qian Cheng shook his head. "We do have it, but it requires immortal-level cultivation too, and even then, the summoned soldiers are not especially effective. It's a bit of a waste."

The two elders of the Hidden Earth Sect exchanged glances but said nothing.

Qing Yanzi smiled. "This trip would not have been possible without your help and treasured artifacts, Hidden Earth Sect elders. When we proceed deeper, I hope you'll speak up if anything seems wrong. It would be best to avoid a true disaster."

As if descending into the Eighteen Levels of Hell was a routine matter, the two elders quickly replied, "Yeah, absolutely."

Several Daoist masters who had mostly recovered began chatting and discussing the Dao. Seeing the atmosphere lighten, Qing Yanzi closed his eyes again and focused on regaining his own strength.

Mu Wanxuan, growing bored, sat behind her master and quietly took out her phone to play a single-player game.

The slight smile on her lips caught the attention of a few of the older Daoists, who watched her with admiration and muttered softly that the Quiet Fairy lived up to her name.

"

Hmm?

"

Just then, Mu Wanxuan frowned slightly and stood up. The hem of her Soaring Celestial Dress swayed gently as she stared at the Eighteen Levels of Hell.

"What is it, Bu Yu? Are you hearing the immortal's voice again?" Zhang Zikuang immediately asked.

"No." Mu Wanxuan quickly typed a message on her phone and showed it to him.

Mu Wanxuan: Something seems to have disrupted the balance of yin and yang inside the Eighteen Levels of Hell. The yin qi is too thick, and the already weakened yang qi is being forced out.

She closed her eyes and tried to sense it again, then typed another message.

Mu Wanxuan: It's coming up.

Coming up? What's coming up?

Before Zhang Zikuang or any of the Daoist masters could ask, the walls of Fengdu City began to shake.

"More immortal light?"

"Has another seal been broken?"

Several Daoist elders immediately took to the sky and looked at the Eighteen Levels of Hell. There was no immortal light or signs of more ghosts.

The tremors grew stronger as a series of ancient words echoed in their minds. The voice carried violence, pain, resentment, and confusion.

—Who are you? Who am I? No, who are we? Who are we???

—Kill them! Kill them all! The Small Nether Realm belongs to us! The primal qi is ours!

—Yes, kill them all! No one can touch our primal qi. No one! No one—

The anguished roar, which blended both male and female voices, struck at their hearts. Several Daoist elders nearly lost control of their Dao Hearts.

Qing Yanzi opened his eyes wide and leaped into the sky. The others stopped meditating and flew up beside him, all staring at the ring-shaped mountain in the distance.

The mountain shook again, and hundreds of wandering spirits, the same as those that they had dealt with earlier, flew out at once. Each was equivalent to a cultivator in the Illusory Core Realm.

Behind them came wave after wave of black-skinned malevolent ghosts. Thousands surged forth, charging toward Fengdu City like mad beasts.

"Has the seventh-level seal been broken as well?" a Daoist elder asked grimly.

Qing Yanzi's wristband crackled with an emergency call.

—Daoist Master Bu Yan, the Eighteen Levels of Hell are emitting an entirely new energy signature! The aura fluctuation exceeds the Golden Core Realm!

Exceeds the Golden Core Realm?

"Retreat! Fall back to the city!" Qing Yanzi shouted in alarm just as a massive surge of black mist shot into the sky and collided with one of the eleven floating great palaces above.

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

A streak of green light emerged from beneath the palace, easily dispersing the black mist. In the blink of an eye, the mist condensed into a giant arm that was twenty to thirty meters long and covered in violet scales. It grabbed several black-skinned ghosts and then retracted into the mountain.

Chewing filled the hearts of all twelve cultivators, making their scalps tingle.

Mu Wanxuan frowned slightly. Now pale, she whispered, "Big ghost."

"What do we do, Daoist Master Bu Yan?" Zhang Zikuang asked. "Should we request a nuclear strike?"

"That could blow open more layers and release even worse spirits," Qing Yanzi countered. Frowning, he folded his arms.

Before he could decide, the giant claw reappeared, gripping the edge of the mountain. A towering figure, more than sixty meters tall, leaped out and began chasing the fleeing black-skinned ghosts.

With each swipe of its hand, it grabbed a few ghosts and tossed them into its mouth, which was shrouded in dark mist.

"We have to retreat," Qing Yanzi instructed. "Lure this thing to Yellow Springs Road and blast it there."

"Agreed."

"Just looking at that thing terrifies me."

The twelve cultivators immediately turned and flew toward Fengdu City.

They were not fools; the malevolent ghost that had awoken was clearly far stronger than they were. Based on the thoughts it had transmitted earlier, the creature seemed to be connected to the disaster that the Hidden Earth Sect had caused a thousand years ago. The Daoist experts who had entered the Small Nether Realm back then could have even become devils.

However, as the twelve cultivators flew into Fengdu City and prepared to retreat, a cold laugh rang in their ears. They heard the voice in their minds again.

—Trying to leave, strange little creatures? Seems like you can't anymore.

The twelve looked up.

Floating in the sky ahead was a lone shadow in a tattered gray cloak and wrapped in black mist. Its sharp eyes were fixed on Qing Yanzi.

The ancient voice echoed again, sharp and chilling.

—Hmm... who should I eat first?