A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 129 Hidden Dangers in the Three States
Qiu Zirang glanced down, smiled disdainfully, and with a flick of his wrist, a blood-red blade appeared in his hand. He then slashed fiercely at the berserk general's soul.

A crimson arc struck Jiang Hun squarely, causing the murderous aura surrounding him to pause. Qiu Zirang's eyes flashed, and he leaped down, his blood-red blade flying from his hand, circling and attacking Jiang Hun. He quickly took out a blood talisman, and with a burst of true energy, it emitted a hazy crimson light, enveloping Jiang Hun.

Just as Jiang Hun regained his balance, he was caught by the flying blood blade and swung away with an axe. But in that instant, Qiu Zirang had already completed the final step.

As the blood talisman dissipated, blood lines immediately appeared above and below the soul's head, slowly wrapping around it. By the time the soul realized something was wrong, it was too late to do anything. In just a few breaths, the soul was enveloped in a large blood-red cocoon.

"Collect," Qiu Zirang said, seeing that the soul was sealed. He immediately took out a crystal, shone it on the blood cocoon, and instantly collected the soul into the crystal.

After finishing this task, Qiu Zirang didn't even glance at He Fang and the others below. His figure soared into the air and disappeared in a few leaps.

"Senior brother, Qiu Zirang is too arrogant. We were the ones who discovered it first," Zhou Chen said angrily as he watched Qiu Zirang leave.

"Fine, it's our fault for being a step too slow. Let's go check on Junior Brother Guo and Junior Brother Zheng first," He Fang thought angrily, but he also knew that everything depended on strength.

Since his cultivation level was inferior to Qiu Zirang's, he would be subject to Qiu Zirang's control over whatever he said or did.

"Looks like I'll have to talk to Wei Feng."

After hearing He Fang's words, Zhou Chen suppressed his anger and quickly went to check on the two seriously injured people.

On the other side, Qiu Zirang, having collected the souls of the generals, arrived at a stone forest. On the platform in the middle were three corpses dressed as generals, which were the bodies that Qiu Zirang had carefully selected.

He took out the crystal and shone it on one of the corpses. A beam of blood-red light immediately connected the corpse and the crystal. As the blood-red light flowed, the soul was forcibly transferred to the body. The body suddenly trembled violently and exploded with a loud bang.

"Not good!" Qiu Zirang hurriedly withdrew upon seeing this, but his soul was still affected, and the evil aura on his body was less than 60%.

"We were too impatient. It seems we need to wait a while longer."

Qiu Zirang had previously received a message from the Supreme Daoist that he must return to Tianhua Prefecture within ten years. Ten years was indeed a rather rushed time to forge a perfect Dao weapon.

Therefore, he had to find another way and use the evil method of corpse puppetry. Although it had obvious drawbacks, its power was several times stronger than that of ordinary Taoist soldiers.

"With Dao soldiers, it's like having an extra life. Even if He Fang and Wei Feng join forces, they won't be a match for me. The next chief will be mine for the taking."

After sweeping away the filth, Qiu Zirang sat cross-legged on the platform, cultivating with the power of the moonlight. At the same time, the two corpses beside him were also nourished by the remaining power of the moonlight, continuously strengthening their physical bodies.

The cold moon hung high in the sky, and in a military pit somewhere in Xiyuan Prefecture, countless bones were bathed in its light. The white bones suddenly became incredibly bright, emitting a pale light that illuminated the pit as if it were daytime.

The malevolent energy within the pit flowed back and forth, eventually attaching itself to the skeletons. The skeletons then stood up, white ghostly flames igniting within their skulls, and bowed down in one direction.

A burly general in armor, wielding a large sword, walked out of the valley. Surprisingly, this person was not a ghost, but a living, breathing human.

"These military pits are truly the perfect place for the birth of spiritual weapons. With them, even unifying the country is not a pipe dream for me."

Looking at the spirit soldiers in the pit, the general reached out and took out a green lamp, shining it down, and the skeletal soldiers were immediately sucked in.

Looking at the spirit soldier's figure in the candlelight, the general nodded in satisfaction, and in a swift movement, he left the pit.

Nanling Prefecture, Diecui Valley

Since arriving in Nanling Prefecture, the demon general Zhu Gang has set up his garrison here. The mountains and rivers here are beautiful and the vegetation is lush, making it an excellent place for him. The only drawback is that it is a bit close to Yunmeng Marsh to the south.

The Yunmeng Marsh has existed since ancient times. Since the beginning of recorded history, the demon race has kept it a secret, saying that it is mysterious and unpredictable. The higher one's cultivation level, the more difficult it is to break in. If one forces one in, one will only end up with no remains.

Zhu Gang is resting in the cave. A few days ago, he received news that Ying Yin would come here to assist him and accelerate the god-making plan.

Although there were discords among the four generals, they shared the same goal in dealing with the demon race, and with a secret order personally written by Lord Qingshan, Zhu Gang attached great importance to this matter.

"Something must have happened recently, otherwise Aoyama-kun and Tiger wouldn't be in such a hurry. It seems I need to speed things up as well."

Just as he was deep in thought, a little demon came to report that General Ying Yin had arrived.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gang immediately left the cave and led his demon soldiers to the outside of the valley to greet them. Before long, a dark cloud drifted in from the distant horizon. A few breaths later, the cloud reached the outside of the valley, descended, and revealed the figures inside.

Brother Zhu

Brother Ying

After Zhu Gang and Ying Yin exchanged greetings, Zhu Gang gestured and led Ying Yin to the cave, while the other attendants were taken care of.

"Eagle, has something happened to the demon race? Otherwise, why would they give us ten years to complete the plan?"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhu Gang went straight to Ying Yin and asked, "I don't know much about this matter either, but it should be related to Qingchao Peak."

Ying told Zhu Gang what she knew, and Zhu Gang was stunned. He involuntarily stood up and exclaimed, "The Crimson Blood Palace has been occupied, and the Crimson Blood Demon Lord's fate is unknown. Who has such power?"

Chi Xue's cultivation level is extremely high. Apart from the Supreme Dao Lord Qi Feng and his own Green Mountain Lord, there is no one in the entire Nine Provinces who can compare to him.

What alarmed him even more was that this person could suppress the Crimson Blood, which meant that neither Lord Qingshan nor Qi Feng were his match. No wonder Lord Qingshan issued such an order.

"Tiger said he's a Taoist priest with extraordinary cultivation. This is his portrait. Old Zhu, this is the one person we absolutely cannot afford to offend. If we encounter him, we must leave immediately, otherwise, even Lord Qingshan will be powerless to help."

As he spoke, Ying Yin handed the portrait that had been prepared to Zhu Gang. The latter sat down, took it, and opened it to find a handsome Taoist with a divine appearance and an air of otherworldly grace.

"Even a portrait can exude such astonishing power; he is truly a celestial being." Zhu Gang almost fell into Gu Xu's eyes after just one glance, and quickly looked away.

“You can argue with that. I was almost scared when I first saw it,” Ying Yin said, taking a sip of tea before turning to Zhu, “How’s your plan going?”

"It went very smoothly. This place is rife with witchcraft and sorcery, and their worship of gods has reached its extreme. I just gave it a gentle push, and forty percent of the villages here have already converted to worship the gods we created."

At this point, Zhu Gang was quite proud. Nanling Prefecture was the most remote part of the Nine Provinces, and the customs and traditions of most areas still retained their ancient form, especially the practice of animal sacrifice, which was very prevalent there.

"Oh, it seems this place is perfect for us to create a god. If we calculate the time, ten years should be enough," Ying Yin felt relieved. He had been sent by his superiors to assist Zhu Gang, and he had thought this place would be very difficult. However, Zhu Gang had already made progress, and things would be much easier from here on out.

"However, we cannot rush things. The fact that 40% of the villages have converted to worshiping the Five Poison Gods has already attracted the attention of other villages. We will have to keep things quiet for a while."

"That makes sense. A small act of impatience can ruin a big plan. Let's manage these 40% of the villages well first, and then we can talk about other things after we've fully digested them. By the way, when I came here just now, I noticed a pink miasma to the south. Could that place be Yunmeng Marsh?"

"That's right, that's Yunmeng Marsh. A magic array has been set up outside Diecui Valley, so the miasma won't reach here for a while. However, I have to reinforce it every full moon night, because the corrosive power of that miasma is truly terrifying."

Thinking back to the days when the miasma broke out, Zhu Gang was filled with fear. At that time, Pantuo Village led dozens of villages to attack Diecui Valley, just in time for the miasma outbreak.

If it weren't for the temporary truce between the two sides, all the creatures in this valley would probably have vanished without a trace.

For this reason, Zhu Gang did not expand his power extensively, and Pantuo Village wisely withdrew, tacitly agreeing to let the other 40% of the villages belong to Diecui Valley. However, if they want to expand their sphere of influence in the future, they will have to fight hard battles one after another.

Ying Yin nodded in agreement. The miasma in Yunmeng Marsh was naturally occurring and extremely difficult to eradicate. Even cultivators would find it very troublesome.

"Hey Lao Zhu, what made you decide to make this your base in the first place?"

"The earth's veins here are smooth, the spiritual energy is abundant, and the valley's terrain is extremely advantageous. At the time, we couldn't find a better place for the time being, and we wanted to get things done quickly, so we had no choice but to choose this place. Although the miasma is terrifying, it has also become a protective talisman for the Verdant Valley. As long as the formation doesn't dissipate, the miasma isn't a big deal."

"Well, that's true, but Old Zhu, we should move this place as soon as possible. Who knows, the miasma might get stronger one day, and this formation might not be able to withstand it."

Zhu Gang remained noncommittal upon hearing this. Changing the base wasn't as easy as Ying Yin made it out to be; it would only take about ten years before this place was abandoned. What was the point of going through all that trouble? Besides, he had used the Black Fiend Thousand Absolute Refinement as the array weapon, connecting it to the power of the mountains and rivers. As long as the earth's energy didn't dissipate, this great array would be safe and sound.

As the two were talking, Zhu Gang's expression changed, and he took out a crystal that flashed red light rapidly.

"Oh no! The miasma has erupted; the formation has malfunctioned!"

"Hurry up!" Yingyin urged.

The two left the cave and immediately flew south on their light. In the distance, they saw a pink miasma on the horizon, with howling winds, like a red tide surging in, which was blocked by a barrier hundreds of miles away.

The barrier rippled, channeling pressure downwards, but judging from the distortion of the light shield, it probably wouldn't last long.

“Old Zhu, it’s not a full moon tonight, so why is the miasma so intense?” Ying Yin’s expression changed as he looked at the surging miasma.

"The reason is unclear, so don't say more. This first barrier won't last long. Come down with me." Zhu Gang didn't want to say more. He rushed down with his escape light and arrived in front of an altar. A flash of light appeared behind him, and Ying Yin followed.

He reached out and pressed the pivot on the altar, continuously channeling his true energy into it. In just a few breaths, halos of light rose from the spot, forming a pagoda shape. Then, the pagoda suddenly expanded, enveloping the Verdant Valley within it.

"Eagle, give me some real energy!"

Upon hearing this, Ying Yin immediately placed both palms against Zhu Gang's back. With this assistance, the latter let out a deep shout and continuously channeled his true energy to the altar's hub.

Just as the pagoda was taking shape, a sudden explosion came from the outside. The first layer of the magic array had been broken, the airflow poured out, the wind raged, and the miasma surged, turning everything in its path into ruins, leaving no trace of life.

A few moments later, the miasma broke through the three barriers and headed straight for the pagoda.

"coming"

Zhu Gang and Ying Yin's expressions turned solemn, and they increased their input of true energy. The pagoda shone brightly, forming a dazzling light shield. The miasma crashed against it, and the booming sound was incessant. Zhu Gang and Ying Yin, who were in charge of the formation, felt their internal energy stagnate and their blood surge.

"What domineering power!" Ying Yin truly witnessed the terror of the miasma today, even though it was only because the array's power had dissipated.

"As long as we withstand the first three impacts, the miasma will automatically recede. Eagle, be careful," Zhu Gang instructed, focusing all his attention on the formation, mobilizing the earth's energy to repair the formation mechanism eroded by the miasma, and at the same time shifting the miasma to both sides.

The miasma failed to break through the light barrier with its first attack, and began to continuously gather its strength. Then, a cloud of extremely bright red light softly crashed into the light barrier.

Although the collision was relatively small in scale, the damage was significant. The pagoda's protective shield flickered rapidly, and the originally radiant runes quickly dimmed and disappeared, decreasing at a visible rate.

"Hold on!"

Zhu Gang roared and poured in his true energy. The dim runes began to light up continuously. After a while, the miasma cloud began to dissipate, but Zhu Gang knew there was still one last blow to deliver.

The billowing miasma surged violently, and suddenly countless crimson rays flew out from within, constantly striking the pagoda's protective shield. Soon, they created numerous tiny holes, through which wisps of miasma quickly passed.

"Eagle, I'm leaving those intruding miasma to you," Zhu Gang said, knowing that Ying Yin possessed a treasure that was perfect for dealing with such evil energy.

"Don't worry," Ying Yin praised again, then withdrew, leaped into the air, and with a soft shout, summoned an exquisite bronze pot. He chanted an incantation, and a burst of dark light shone down on the miasma that rushed in, quickly cleaning it up like a whale sucking in water.

Another half hour passed, and the miasma seemed to realize that it could not break through this barrier, so it split into two streams and flowed northward around the Verdant Valley. It took a full half hour for the miasma to disappear without a trace.

"That was close!" Ying Yin retrieved the bronze pot, only to find it covered in a layer of blood. Ying Yin felt a pang of heartache. After absorbing this miasma, even the molten gold pot was struggling to withstand the strain. If it hadn't been neutralized in time, this treasure would have been ruined.

"Old Zhu, the cause of this miasma outbreak must be found out. Today's events are a bad omen."

"You were right, it seems we can't stay in this Green Valley any longer," Zhu Gang said weakly, his face pale.

"I've been negligent lately. The miasma outbreaks are getting shorter and shorter, and they're getting stronger. It seems there's a problem with Yunmengze. Let's go back first."

Ying Yin nodded upon hearing this, helped Zhu Gang, and rode the escape light back to Diecui Valley.

Shangyuanzhou

This state is different from other states. Water accounts for 90% of its area, with the remaining 10% being land. When viewed from the air, it resembles the Chinese character "人" (person). The main river is called the Yuan River, which flows mightily and magnificently from west to east into the sea.

At that moment, a sudden gale swept across the Yuanjiang River, soon creating towering waves that surged forth like a tidal wave. Fishing boats on the river were instantly reduced to fragments, and the fishermen's cries for help were swept away by the whirlpool and sank to the bottom of the river along with the debris of their boats.

The surging waves continued their relentless advance, crashing directly into the dikes on both banks in response to the waterspout. With a single blow, they destroyed the surrounding dikes, turning fertile fields into marshes.

Beneath the Yuanjiang River, undercurrents surged, carrying various waste gases. Any living beings caught in them were reduced to skeletons, which were then swept away by the current and turned into dust.

In addition, the swirling currents plunged straight to the riverbed, and wisps of black gas rose from the bottom. After a short while, the water was completely black, emitting an unbearable stench, and the surface was covered with the corpses of dead fish.

Gu Xu, who was far away in Lianyunzhou, was in seclusion cultivating his profound skills when he suddenly felt a jolt in his heart. He opened his eyes, silently calculated for a moment, and then immediately got up.

Elder Gu was instructing his disciples outside the hall when he suddenly saw a golden light shooting westward.

"Sir"

Gu Xu continued on his way without stopping, and half an hour later, the golden light paused, and they arrived at Shangyuanzhou.

From the air, Shangyuan Island was already shrouded in a layer of black mist, the source of which was the Hundred Rivers and Thousand Streams, and it was constantly increasing.

"Despite meticulous planning, we still overlooked Shangyuanzhou. This is the place with the most abundant water veins. Since the power of the earthly tribulation could not erupt in Tianhuazhou, it found its way here. The secrets of heaven are unpredictable."

Gu Xu's expression was solemn. He reached out and grabbed a wisp of malevolent energy. Upon closer inspection, a flash of red light dissipated it without a trace.

After gazing down for a moment, Gu Xu flashed and arrived above the Yuan River. In his eyes, the black mist here was even stronger. He raised a protective light shield and dived into the water, heading straight for the water vein node. On his way, the dark currents surged and the baleful aura soared into the sky, causing the light shield to bang loudly.

After a while, they finally arrived at the water vein node. At this moment, it was pitch black and nothing could be seen. Seeing this, Gu Xu summoned the Soul Purification Mirror, and its clear light shone out, revealing the scene inside.

"The water vein node has been destroyed to this extent; it seems unusable now. We can only try our best to purify the evil energy in the water source."

The water vein nodes have been completely eroded, and the essence of water has dissipated completely, leaving no room for repair.

After retrieving the treasure mirror, Gu Xu left the underwater world and flew into the air to examine the course of the rivers and mountains, preparing to set up a purification array. Even if it couldn't completely eliminate the pollution, it would at least weaken it.

"There are many spirits and monsters in the waters of this state. If one were to acquire malevolent energy, there's no guarantee they wouldn't come out and cause trouble."

After examining it, Gu Xu pointed his finger and drew a line in the air. A moment later, hundreds of golden talismans were scattered along both banks of the Yuan River. A flash of light appeared, and golden threads wove into a net, covering an area of ​​a hundred miles around the nodes of the Yuan River's waterways.

When the malevolent energy from the water source touched the golden net, it was instantly burned by the pure yang true fire. However, the runes on the golden net were also constantly flashing. If the power of the runes was exhausted, the golden net would lose its function.

"The water veins here have been polluted and cannot be used; we can only borrow the power of the Heavenly Sun."

With a thought, Gu Xu conjured a bright sun from his body, echoing the blazing sun in the sky. The people of Shangyuan Prefecture, seeing the two suns in the sky, shouted and spread the news.

Pushing Haoyang Golden Sun to its limit, Gu Xu's eyes narrowed, and he took out four fire crystals, pouring the power of Heavenly Sun and Golden Sun into them.

Waiting for the crystal fire to coalesce, Gu Xu swept his sleeve and arranged them in four directions, continuously injecting vital energy into the golden net by absorbing the power of the heavenly yang.

"There are very few cultivators in this state. Perhaps I can pass on the art of array formations and keep watch over them from time to time." With this thought, Gu Xu flashed his escape light and reappeared on an island.

(End of this chapter)