A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 132 Yunmeng Great Marsh
Just as the Blood Sun Phenomenon appeared in Xiyuan Prefecture, Qi Feng, at the Supreme Dao's residence in Tianhua Prefecture, was startled and hurriedly flew into the air, gazing at Xiyuan Prefecture from afar. Looking at the blood-red area, Qi Feng's expression changed slightly.

"The ten-year agreement has not yet been fulfilled, but signs of great calamity have already begun. Calamity, calamity!"

I originally thought ten years would be enough time for me to scheme and plot, but now it seems that's probably not enough.

"Ning Dao, issue my decree: all disciples from Xiyuan Prefecture must withdraw, and disciples from other prefectures must also return within five years. Anyone who disobeys this order will be executed."

Pingshan Prefecture, Kuoyun Mountain

Qingshan Jun frowned as he looked at the blood mist spreading over Xiyuan Prefecture. He did some calculations and his heart sank. This anomaly had completely disrupted his plan to create a god. If he forced it to continue, the demon race would be severely damaged.

"Hu Xuan, pass on a message to Zhu Gang and Ying Yin: things have changed. They are only allowed five years. No matter what Wu accomplishes, he must return to Pingshan Prefecture after five years."

Saiwonju, Xuguyuan

Inside the valley, Qiu Zirang had become a blood-soaked figure, exuding a strong stench of blood. His figure was elusive and unpredictable, and not far in front of him lay a pile of withered bones, including those of wild beasts and humans.

"He Fang, if it weren't for you, how could I have ended up like this?" Qiu Zirang felt resentful. If it weren't for the sudden outburst of the Scattered Spirit Silk that severely injured him, he wouldn't have had to turn to cultivating this supreme forbidden technique, the Blood Shadow Divine Art, just to preserve his cultivation.

Once this skill is mastered, the physical body will dissolve, and all the spiritual power in the body will be transferred into the blood. The process is extremely painful and cannot be endured by ordinary people. However, once mastered, the Blood Shadow will appear and disappear without a trace. Any living being touched by it will have its essence and blood taken away, and the master's cultivation will greatly increase as a result.

Although it is an evil art, its power is so great that it allows him to stand out from the crowd.

"Although I can't return to the Supreme Path, with this Blood Shadow Divine Art, sooner or later I will definitely establish a sect of my own."

After laughing a few times, Qiu Zirang sensed the aura, and with a flash of blood-red light, he headed off in a certain direction.

At this moment, above Xiyuan Prefecture, Gu Xu used the Purifying Soul and Mind Mirror, its bright light continuously dissolving the blood mist. However, as time passed, the blood mist grew thicker and thicker, and Gu Xu suddenly felt troubled.

With a thought, the Azure Thunder Sword behind him rang out and shot into the sky, swirling and spinning. Streams of lightning continuously struck the blood mist. The lightning was extremely yang and intense, the nemesis of these yin spirits. With a sweep of lightning and a gust of wind, the area around the valley was cleared in just a few breaths.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Gu Xu gathered his true essence and drew his fingers in succession. Golden runes continuously rose into the sky, then suddenly turned and shot out in all directions of Xiyuan Prefecture. After more than half an hour, hundreds of runes were woven into a golden net under Gu Xu's command, temporarily sealing the blood mist.

"This Soul-Locking Net can only temporarily seal this place. We need to notify the people in the state immediately and have them evacuate as soon as possible."

Looking at the blood-red sun in the sky, Gu Xu sighed. The power of this great calamity was not something one person could withstand. Even if he cultivated to the second level of the primordial spirit, he would be powerless to stop it.

“Cultivating to the point of Yin-Yang balance is not something that can be achieved overnight. Let’s deal with the current matters first.” With a flash of light, Gu Xu retrieved the two treasures, leaped into Xiyuan Prefecture, carefully examined the area, and flew towards the most popular spot.

Along the way, Gu Xu's mind stirred, and he reached out and grabbed a wisp of blood energy. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that it was actually man-made.

"This seems to be a sign of the Blood Shadow Divine Art, not good." Gu Xu's expression changed, and he quickly escaped. When he found Qiu Zirang, he saw a streak of blood light moving back and forth not far in front of him. Every time it flashed, a person fell off the city.

Seeing this, Gu Xu waved his hand, and a blazing sword beam shot towards the blood light. The blood light seemed to sense the danger, paused slightly, and then rushed into the distance, but it was caught up by the sword beam before it went far.

Seeing that the blood-red light was temporarily suppressed, Gu Xu leaped into the air, grabbed the Azure Thunder Sword, and lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky. Strands of azure lightning struck the blood-red light directly. A wail was heard, the blood-red light shattered, and a bloody figure was pierced by the Azure Thunder Sword and fell to the ground.

"Shangxian"

"Immortal"

The surviving people in the city looked at Gu Xu, who was floating in the air surrounded by golden light, and immediately knelt down and kowtowed. If the immortal had not arrived in time, they would have all become the demon's food, and Tianle City would have become a dead city.

Gu Xu flicked his sleeve, and a gentle force lifted them up. His gaze swept over them, finally settling on a general-looking man at the front, and he said in a deep voice, "Are you in charge of this city?"

"Greetings, Immortal Master. I am Lü Feng, the City Commandant of Tianle City. What are your orders, Immortal Master?"

The city lord and the chief administrator were both killed by demons, and he is currently the highest-ranking person in the city.

"Things have changed in Xiyuan Prefecture. You have one month to move out as soon as possible, or the consequences will be unimaginable. The bloodshed you witnessed today is the best proof of that."

After Gu Xu finished speaking, his figure flashed, shattering Qiu Zirang's blood shadow. He then retrieved his Azure Thunder Sword and turned to head towards another bustling city. Upon hearing this, Lü Feng's heart sank. It seemed that he could no longer stay in Xiyuan Prefecture. The only option now was to go to Tianhua Prefecture.

"One month should be enough," Lü Feng said, looking at the remaining people in the city, and made his decision.

On the other side, He Fang led Zhou Chen and Junior Brother Guo to the place where Qiu Zirang had once lived.

"The blood mist here is much denser than elsewhere. Junior brothers, please take care to protect yourselves."

Looking at the crimson mist of blood before him, He Fang had a bad feeling.

After walking under the blood-red light for a while, Junior Brother Guo suddenly cried out in alarm. He Fang asked urgently, "Junior Brother Guo, what happened?"

"Senior brother, look!" Junior brother Guo pointed in horror to a valley that had been revealed in front of him.

The room was filled with skeletons, and many of them were dressed in the robes of disciples of the Supreme Dao.

"This is"

He Fang's expression changed drastically. He quickened his pace, and after getting closer and taking a careful look, he finally confirmed that this was the Blood Shadow Divine Skill.

"Senior brother, Qiu Zirang isn't here, but there are so many skeletons of our fellow disciples. Could it be him?" Zhou Chen asked, though he sounded doubtful, but his tone was quite certain.

"Indeed, this is the Blood Shadow Divine Skill. Among his fellow disciples, only he would practice such an unorthodox martial art."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen and Junior Brother Guo's expressions changed drastically. The Blood Shadow Divine Skill was a taboo for those of the Supreme Dao.

The two of them hadn't considered this possibility at all, assuming that the skeletons had been corroded by the blood mist, which was why they looked like this. Little did they know that the culprit was Qiu Zirang.

"According to our sect's rules, anyone who cultivates the Blood Shadow Divine Art without authorization will have their cultivation abolished and be expelled from the sect. Qiu Zi's slaughter of fellow disciples is an even greater crime. Senior brother, what is Qiu Zi trying to do?"

"Setting up their own business" was the only reason He Fang could think of. Qiu Zirang had been hit by the Spirit Dispersing Silk and couldn't recover in a short time. It was not surprising that he would take this step in order to maintain his own advantage.

What's even more wonderful is that now that the calamity has just begun, it's the perfect opportunity for a dramatic change. With a few hundred years, he might actually be able to forge a different path.

"This blood-sun phenomenon might be related to him. Junior Brother Zhou, send this message to the chief official. We don't need to get involved in the rest."

Zhou Chen nodded upon hearing this, took out a communication talisman, and injected his true energy into it. The talisman lit up at first, then dimmed. Zhou Chen exclaimed in surprise and injected it again. After several repetitions, there was still no response.

"It seems that even the communication talismans are ineffective due to the blood mist. This place is about to undergo a major change, and we shouldn't stay any longer. Let's leave quickly."

In any case, they have collected enough soldier souls during this period of time to earn merit.

Just as the three were about to leave, suddenly all the skeletons in the valley stood up, and an eerie red light shone from their empty skulls.

"Go quickly"

Upon seeing this, He Fang's expression changed. He casually unleashed several dark beams of light towards the nearest skeleton. With a clang, a spark flew out, and the bone-piercing needles failed to achieve their goal.

The three dared not delay any longer and hurriedly used their movement techniques to escape. However, Junior Brother Guo was a step too slow. His blood-red aura was pierced by the bone knife, and before he could call for help, he was beheaded. His blood was quickly absorbed by the blood mist.

"Junior Brother Guo!" Zhou Chen exclaimed in shock and anger, wanting to step forward and eliminate the skeleton, but He Fang grabbed him.

"Get out of here quickly, we're no match for them," He Fang said, watching the skeletal army surging towards the edge of the distance. He unleashed several bursts of fire and, taking advantage of the opportunity, grabbed Zhou Chen and escaped from the encirclement.

The army of skeletons retreated after pursuing them to the edge of the valley. Meanwhile, Gu Xu visited several cities, but most of the inhabitants had been corrupted by the blood mist and turned into blood puppets.

Left with no other choice, Gu Xu could only temporarily seal off these cities, rescue those who had not been corrupted, and have them relocate within a month.

Without time to stop, Gu Xu used his escape light to disappear into the depths of the Corpse Bone Plain.

"This place is the source of the blood mist."

As he watched the blood mist swirling back and forth, Gu Xu's eyes narrowed. This place was precisely where the blood evil energy gathered. The person who cultivated the Blood Shadow Divine Art had become a catalyst here, which was why the blood evil energy that had been accumulating for so long was released.

"Now that the earth's energy is dissipating and the power of the heavenly sun is being obscured, even if we set up an array, it won't hold for long. Xiyuan Prefecture is doomed."

With a flick of his finger, the withered bone blood puppets, possessed by the pure Yang true fire, instantly turned into a pile of black ash. Seeing this, the remaining withered bone blood puppets became even more ferocious and attacked Gu Xu.

With the Azure Thunder Sword in hand, sharp sword lights crisscrossed, severing the heads of hundreds of withered bone blood puppets. Before the skeletons could reattach, a flash of lightning caused the withered bones to vanish without a trace.

A moment later, the blood mist in the valley dissipated completely, and the withered bone blood puppets were temporarily killed. However, Gu Xu knew that as long as the blood mist in Xiyuan Prefecture did not dissipate, the blood puppets would reappear, which was only a temporary solution.

"Weiyuan Prefecture can no longer be saved; we absolutely cannot allow the blood mist to spread to Tianhua Prefecture."

Fortunately, Xiyuan Prefecture and Tianhua Prefecture are separated by the Xilong Mountain Range, whose lowest point is a hundred feet high, making it perfect for setting up an isolation array.

Just after Gu Xu left, wisps of bloody aura emerged from the valley floor, soon enveloping the valley once again.

After flying for several hours, Gu Xu arrived at the border between Xiyuan Prefecture and Tianhua Prefecture. The area was still clear and had not yet been eroded by the bloodthirsty aura. However, the people who lived there had long since left, leaving behind only empty villages.

Gu Xu flew into the air, searching back and forth for a suitable array point. Three days later, Gu Xu planted the last array flag in the array point, and then summoned the main flag. As he poured his true essence into it, the Xilong Mountains lit up one after another from south to north, like beacon fires relaying messages. The lights twinkled like stars, and then formed a starlight barrier that separated Xiyuan Prefecture from Tianhua Prefecture.

"The Star Array is complete."

Gu Xu looked at the array barrier with satisfaction. This array only needed to withstand the first few decades when the blood mist was at its worst. Once the blood evil energy in Xiyuan Prefecture was completely released, the Star Array could be changed into a purification array, and perhaps a little bit of life could still be left.

Just as Gu Xu was setting up the Star Array, the few hundred thousand people remaining in Xiyuan Prefecture began to travel over mountains and rivers towards Tianhua Prefecture.

Along the way, some people were corrupted by the blood mist and turned into blood puppets, who were then killed by the Supreme Daoists who were protecting them.

"Senior brother, why would the Dao Lord issue such an order, leading these mortals on a journey? A month is a very tight timeframe. If they are corroded by the blood mist, there will be no way to prevent it," Zhou Chen complained.

A few days ago, they finally contacted their master using a communication talisman, but before they could report back, their master, Ning Dao, ordered them to carry out an escort mission to deliver the nearest hundred guards to Tianhua Prefecture. Success would be a great achievement.

"Who dares disobey the Dao Lord's order? Let's hurry on our way before the blood mist spreads," He Fang replied, continuing to lead the way.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen fell silent. He called out to the group, and they quickened their pace, hoping to reach the next mountain ridge by 3:00 AM, rest there for the night, and continue their journey the next day.

The same situation occurred in other areas. With the assistance of the disciples of the Supreme Path, these people finally had someone to rely on, and the number of people injured by the Blood Puppet was decreasing.

Above Xiyuan Prefecture, Gu Xu used the Soul-Cleansing and Mind-Clearing Mirror to purify the blood-fiend energy in the prefecture, but with little effect. At this time, the blood-fiend energy was at its strongest. Using one's weakness to attack the enemy's strength, how could one not be at a disadvantage?

Just as Gu Xu was purifying with all his might, a red light flashed in his arms, and Qi Feng's voice came from inside.

"Fellow Daoist Gu Xu, all of the hundreds of disciples of the Supreme Dao have been released. They have gathered the remaining people in Xiyuan Prefecture and are now heading towards Tianhua Prefecture."

"Thank you, fellow Taoist."

"Fellow Daoist, there's no need for such formalities. This Blood Mist calamity is also the responsibility of the Supreme Dao. Leave the rest to us. Take care, Fellow Daoist."

As the red light faded and the transmission ended, Gu Xu looked at the blood-red sun in the sky, his true essence surging, and the treasure mirror shining brightly, continuously absorbing the blood-fiend energy. Several hours later, Gu Xu felt that the treasure mirror was already somewhat overburdened.

He immediately retrieved it, and the Azure Thunder Sword burst forth with lightning, beginning to cleanse the eerie blood mist below. Several more hours passed, and Gu Xu's face paled, realizing that his true essence was insufficient. He then retrieved the Azure Thunder Sword, sighed softly, and with a flash of light, headed towards Tianhua Prefecture.

In Nanling Prefecture, Zhu Gang and Ying Yin, who had moved away from Diecui Valley, received a message from Hu Xuan and immediately sped up their efforts, sparing no expense to capture the remaining witch villages and forcibly convert the villagers to their faith, resulting in several more bloody battles.

"Though there were some twists and turns, we've finally pacified this place. Eagle, have you sent all those lesser demons away?"

"They've already been sent away. Besides the two of us, there are only four hundred demon soldiers left. Tiger sent another message, telling us to make arrangements and evacuate as soon as possible. Blood mist has already appeared in Xiyuan Prefecture. Although Nanling Prefecture isn't close, we can't let our guard down."

Ying handed the letter to Zhu Gang, who nodded after reading it.

"The Verdant Valley has already been swallowed up by the miasma of the Cloud Dream Marsh; it seems that the situation in Southern Ling Prefecture will soon follow suit."

Just then, a demon soldier came to report that the miasma near Yunmengze had begun to spread to all directions of Nanling Prefecture, and that it would reach Linquan Mountain in less than a month.

"Old Zhu, you were right. This miasma must be influenced by the local climate of Xiyuan Prefecture to spread so quickly. We can't wait any longer, Old Zhu. Pack your things, we're leaving right away."

Zhu Gang nodded, and just as the two were about to leave, the talisman in Zhu Gang's hand suddenly lit up, and Hu Xuan's voice came from inside.

"Old Zhu, Old Eagle, Lord Qingshan, pass on the order to bring as many people from Nanling Prefecture as possible back to Tianhua Prefecture; they will be of great use in the future."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gang immediately sent a message indicating that he was aware of the matter.

Afterwards, Zhu Gang and his companion discussed the matter and decided to each lead two hundred demon soldiers, splitting into two groups to bring back any living people they could find along the way.

Yunmengze

The once boundless marshland has turned a deep red, with rising water vapor mixed with miasma, which rises into the sky and intertwines to form a dense, persistent pink cloud.

Beneath the silent swamp, in the dark and gloomy depths, strange beasts roam freely. Nourished by miasma year-round, they are no longer afraid of it and swim around with ease.

The unicorn crocodile has sharp teeth, a black horn on its head, and scales covering its body. It is several meters long and has strong, powerful limbs. It is a tyrant in the Yunmeng Marsh. It likes to live in groups and likes to eat various poisonous creatures.

A group of crocodiles were sharing a large fish when suddenly a long, dark shadow flashed by, causing the crocodiles to panic.

The reason was that a black python about ten feet long was swallowing a crocodile whole. In just two or three breaths, this sizable aquatic tyrant became someone else's food.

The black python's agile eyes looked at the unicorns. With a flick of its tongue, a chilling aura struck several unicorns, instantly turning them into ice sculptures. The black python opened its mouth and inhaled, and the unicorns instantly turned into lumps of flesh that entered the python's mouth.

Seeing this, the other crocodiles scattered in all directions. The black python seemed to have eaten its fill and did not pursue them further. It coiled its body and claimed the territory. The python looked at the blood-red sun in the sky, and with each breath, changes began to occur on the black python's body.

Tianhua Prefecture, Yujian Manor
"Steward, the recent celestial phenomena are unusual, and something serious may be about to happen. The manor must be carefully guarded, and no mistakes must be made."

"Your subordinate understands, Master, please rest assured."

Yin Zhong nodded upon hearing this, just then Tie Zheng suddenly walked in.

"Master, a thick fog has suddenly enveloped the Soul-Severing Forest outside Shenglong Town, and there seem to be evil spirits inside. Lord Meng led his men there beforehand and sent me to report back."

"Things have turned out strangely. Steward, keep a close watch on the manor. Tie Zheng, take twenty iron guards and come with me to the Soul-Severing Forest."

At this crucial moment, any strange event could trigger a calamity, and what Yin Zhong needs to do is to avert the calamity in advance.

(End of this chapter)