I Killed Gods and Demons in Song Dynasty

Chapter 254: Strong Men Gather on the Eve of the Storm
On the top of Mount Li, the night is like an abyss and the wind is howling, as if the world is filled with some unspeakable whispers.

In Li Qingyun's hands, four golden tablets vibrated at the same time, making a buzzing sound like a huge bell.

This voice carries an ancient aura of oppression, as if it can penetrate people's hearts and reach the depths of their souls, making people hold their breath and concentrate involuntarily.

As the golden tablets shone brightly, the world around Mount Li seemed to come to a brief standstill. Time and space seemed to be pulled by these four golden tablets and twisted into some indescribable form.

The golden light suddenly exploded, like four golden suns rising into the sky, tearing a huge crack in the darkness.
In the light of the purpose, one can vaguely see the shadow of a strange beast hovering in the depths of the void, accompanied by the roar of the ferocious beast, coming across the ages.

First, a huge head popped out from the void, with dozens of twisted eyes on its face. Those eyes seemed to be able to directly see the most horrifying nightmares deep in people's hearts.

Its mouth took up most of its face, and its teeth were arranged in an interlaced pattern like daggers. Every time it opened and closed, it seemed as if it could swallow the world.

Immediately afterwards, a giant beast covered in iron-like scales appeared, with upturned nostrils and huge bat wings growing on its back.

Every time it flapped its wings, the runes densely covered on the wing membranes shone with a cold light. It was a curse transformed from the wails of countless vengeful spirits, which was chilling.

The next thing to appear was a mass of darkness without a fixed shape. Its huge body was composed of endless shadows, its limbs were blurred, and in the center was a dense black fog.

In the black fog, dozens of tentacles covered with eyes slowly squirmed. Those eyes were glowing with a faint blue light, as if they were examining everything.

The last beast that appeared was like a deep-sea alien, with a body covered with scales, eight stubby legs crawling on the ground, and a long tail covered with ferocious barbs and fleshy buds. Every time it moved, it brought a deafening roar, like the whimpering in a deep-sea storm.

Four ferocious beasts circled around Li Qingyun, their eyes ferocious, yet they seemed to be submitting to some irresistible force.

The next moment, the four ancient ferocious beasts let out an earth-shaking roar at the same time, and their bodies began to turn into countless points of light, rushing towards Li Qingyun's body.

In an instant, Li Qingyun felt that the mysterious palace in his body suddenly opened uncontrollably.

The phantoms of four ferocious beasts actually appeared in the palace filled with gray fog. Their huge bodies lingered at the foot of the palace, stirring up the eternal gray fog like a storm or tsunami.

The shadows of Taotie, Qiongqi, Huntun and Taowu gradually twisted and turned into four extremely complex runes.

These runes were like heavenly books, carrying tremendous pressure, blending into the walls of the palace and becoming a part of it.

The gray fog surged like a tide, and the entire palace seemed to be refreshed and exuding a more powerful aura.

Li Qingyun sat cross-legged on the throne of the gods in the palace, feeling an indescribable force flowing through his body, as if he had merged into one with the palace.

The originally somewhat unfamiliar feeling of control had now completely disappeared.

His spiritual thoughts surged out like a river bursting its dam and merged completely into the palace.

Every surge of the gray fog and every gathering of strength were like an extension of his arm, moving at his will.

He stared down at the flashing runes on the palace wall, feeling confused and uncertain:
"What is the connection between these four fierce beasts and this palace? Why did they become part of the palace?"

The significance of those four golden tablets seemed to be more profound than he had previously guessed.

Li Qingyun vaguely felt that the combination of this palace and the four fierce beasts might hide a bigger secret...

……

After a while, Li Qingyun slowly opened his eyes, clenched his hands, and the four gold coins turned into a faint light and sank into his palms.

Although Mu Guiying could not detect the existence of the mysterious palace, she saw that Li Qingyun was silent for a long time and could not help asking:

"Qingyun, how are you?"

Li Qingyun pondered for a moment and said:
"I'm fine, Marshal. These four golden tablets are just as we thought. They represent the four great beasts: Qiongqi, Taowu, Taotie, and Hun Dun.

"They are not only relics from the ancient times, but are also closely related to the history of this land."

He paused, his eyes fell on the continuous mountain range of Mount Li, and continued:
“According to the information I got from the four golden tablets, these four fierce beasts are not legendary creatures, but real semi-god-level powerful beings.

"They were once powerful in the Middle Ages, but were later suppressed by some force under Mount Li during the First War of Gods."

"Mount Li?"

Mu Guiying frowned, obviously in disbelief, "You mean, this mountain range still hides the secret of the first divine war?"

Li Qingyun nodded, a thoughtful look in his eyes:
"That's right. The four golden tablets combined together form a key that can open a relic of the war between gods.

“And within those ruins lies the truth about the First God War—a shocking war that has long been buried in the long river of history.”

……

In the history of the mysterious world, the first war between the two emperors Yan and Huang and Chi You is generally regarded as the dividing line between the Middle Ages and the modern times.

The tens of thousands of years from the time Pangu created the world for the second time to the battle between Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang and Chiyou are called the "Middle Ages". During this period, gods and demons were rampant, and gods walked the world unscrupulously, leaving behind countless miracles. At the same time, they mated and reproduced with the creatures of the world, giving birth to countless strange "demigod" races that possessed both divinity and mortal bodies.

This disorderly world full of magic and mythology did not enter the next stage until the rise of human beings.

In that era when the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors worked hard to govern the country and great human beings emerged one after another, after countless generations of efforts, the two emperors Yan and Huang finally led countless powerful humans and demons to resist the rule of gods and demigods, and defeated the last tribe of Chiyou with demigod bloodline, and drove them out of the human world, marking that the human race finally occupied the entire world and renamed it "the human world."

This is the "First War of the Gods" recorded in history books.

But because so much time has passed, this period of history has become vague and many details have become blurred.

As for what role the four ferocious beasts played in the first war between gods, and why they were suppressed under Mount Li, leaving only four golden slips, Li Qingyun did not know. He could only uncover the truth beneath the fog by exploring the remains of the war between gods.

"God War?"

Mu Guiying's expression became more and more solemn. "Could it be that Master has glimpsed the secret of the God War and feels that the matter is of great importance, so he entrusted the golden scroll to me and asked me to investigate?"

Li Qingyun took a deep breath and spoke in a low but firm tone:

"It's very likely. And Senior Lishan Old Mother... I guess the reason why she can't show up is probably because she entered this ruins and was trapped in an unknown place."

Mu Guiying raised her head slightly, the moonlight shining on her beautiful face. There was shock and anxiety in her eyes:

"In this case, we must find the ruins as soon as possible and rescue our mentor!"

Li Qingyun smiled slightly, but his tone was calm:
"That's right, but right now Pang Yu and Zhao Dezhao are the top priorities."

He looked down at the golden tablet in his palm, and the imperceptible vibration seemed to still echo in his palm.

He looked up at the mountains in the distance and continued:
"Although Senior Lishan Old Mother is temporarily trapped, I can infer from these four golden tablets that her life is not in danger for the time being."

Mu Guiying's brows relaxed slightly when she heard this, and there was a hint of expectation in her eyes. Li Qingyun said in a deep voice:

"Don't worry, once I defeat Pang Yu and Zhao Dezhao, I will definitely go with you to the ruins and rescue the old mother of Mount Li."

Mu Guiying looked at him, with a glimmer of gratitude and admiration in her eyes:
"Qingyun, I feel relieved with your words.

"If you have any plans that require my cooperation, just tell me."

Li Qingyun smiled, with a cold light flashing in his eyes:
"I haven't thought of a plan yet. But I have found a few helpers..."

Mu Guiying was slightly stunned and was about to ask a question, but suddenly she felt the wind and clouds changing on the top of the mountain, and a breath as clear as pine and cypress, and as majestic as mountains and rivers, surged from afar.

The aura was filled with absolute majesty and mighty power, as if all the righteousness between heaven and earth was condensed here in an instant.

Then, several figures broke through the air and landed steadily on the top of the mountain in an instant.

The leader had a gaunt face, a tall and thin figure, and a dark green Taoist robe that fluttered in the wind.

His eyes were as calm as an ancient well, as if he could see through all the darkness and disputes in the world, yet they also contained endless insight and kindness.

This person is none other than the strongest man in the world who ranks first on the Tiangang List—Emperor Donghua Wang Xuanfu.

On the left side of Wang Xuanfu was a man dressed in snow-white, with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes. A three-foot green sword hung on his waist, and there was a calm and ethereal edge between his brows. He was none other than the famous Pure Yang Sword Immortal Lu Dongbin.

On the right is a man with a face like a full moon and a big belly. He has two buns on his head and holds a palm-leaf fan in his hand. He exudes grace and elegance, as if he was born to face all storms with a smile.

He was Lu Dongbin's best friend, Zhengyangzi Zhongli Quan.

As soon as the three of them landed, their aura merged with that of the entire Mount Li, as if all the mountains and rivers were under their control.

Li Qingyun had already greeted him with a raised hand and said loudly:

"Three seniors, you have come from afar. Qingyun is honored!"

Wang Xuanfu's eyes fell on Li Qingyun, and his face showed some relief, and then he smiled faintly:

"How are you, little Taoist friend? You're joking a little too much.

"Now should I call you Lieutenant Li of Kaifeng Prefecture? Or Taoist Priest Gao of Longhu Mountain?"

Li Qingyun smiled awkwardly:
"I did have a secret that I couldn't tell you at the time, so I had to change my name and hide in Longhu Mountain. I didn't mean to deceive you, the seniors. I hope Emperor Donghua will forgive me!"

Wang Xuanfu walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder:

"It's okay. A few days ago, Mr. Xu Jing sent a letter to Donghai via flying sword to personally clarify your case. Since he, the person involved, has not blamed you, we have nothing to say. Whether you are Li Qingyun or Gao Ren'an, as long as you act uprightly, you are our friend.

"But to be honest, we were all shocked when we heard the news. You are really capable to hide your identity so perfectly under the noses of old guys like us."

Li Qingyun felt somewhat guilty at first, but when he heard that Wang Xuanfu and the others did not care about these minor details, he felt relieved and said with a smile:
"These are just some trivial tricks, not worth mentioning."

At this time, Lü Dongbin sighed and said solemnly:

"Qingyun, when we heard in the East China Sea that your clone had come to ask for help, we knew that this matter was of great importance.

"Now, from what you said, Pang Yu, the remnant of the Faceless Immortal, is colluding with Zhao Dezhao. If this matter is not resolved as soon as possible, I'm afraid the entire Song Dynasty will be doomed."

Zhongli Quan gently fanned himself, his eyes as cold as frost, and whispered:
"The followers of the Faceless Immortal have always acted in a sinister and vicious manner, and subverting order and disrupting the human world are their usual tactics.

"Qingyun, have you found out what their conspiracy is?"

Li Qingyun nodded slightly and said seriously:

"I have already noticed. The core of their plan is closely related to the 'Dragon Transformation Pond'.

"Zhao Dezhao and Pang Yu attempted to steal the blood of the real dragon through the Dragon Transformation Pool in order to change the fate of the world. They might even use it as a sacrifice to summon the evil god to descend."

Hearing the words "Hua Long Chi", Lu Dongbin frowned slightly, and a strange color flashed in his eyes.

He hesitated for a moment and said:
"The Dragon Pool... I investigated it several years ago. But later the secret was concealed and its location could no longer be traced. It turned out that it had been controlled by Pang Yu. If Zhao Dezhao wanted to usurp the throne here, I'm afraid it was not just for the dragon vein, but also to use it to summon the evil god to come and completely subvert the order of the human world!"

Zhongli Quan nodded and said in a low voice:

"What Chun Yangzi said is true. If this evil god can really come successfully, the entire Song Dynasty and even the entire human world will be reduced to a bloody Shura field."

When Lü Dongbin heard this, he shook the sword in his hand lightly, and his voice was like thunder:

“In that case, why don’t we join forces and march into Bianliang and attack Huanglong directly! Even if Pang Yu is a follower of the evil god and has a great support, he can’t stop our swords!”

However, Wang Xuanfu shook his head slightly, his brows full of worry:
"We can't be so reckless. Bianliang is the capital of the Song Dynasty, with millions of households. If we act rashly, it will certainly alert Zhao Dezhao and Pang Yu. They will definitely counterattack when they are desperate. By then, the commotion will be too loud, and I am afraid that innocent people will be affected."

Li Qingyun also nodded and said:
"Emperor Donghua is right. Although Zhao Dezhao is treacherous, he is still wearing the emperor's coat. If we take action now, we will inevitably be branded as traitors and fall into their trap."

All of them were powerful people who had lived for hundreds of years, but they were silent for a moment when they heard the words.

Li Qingyun raised his head slightly, his eyes sharp:

"However, Zhao Dezhao will soon reveal his flaws - ten days later, he will hold a Fengshan ceremony on Mount Tai, claiming that he wants to offer sacrifices to the heavens and pray for blessings to ensure the eternal stability of the Song Dynasty. I speculate that this is the final step of their conspiracy."

"The Fengshan Ceremony at Mount Tai..."

Lu Dongbin muttered to himself, his eyes gradually turning cold, "It seems that they intend to use the dragon veins of Mount Tai to completely complete the power transfer of the Dragon Pool and dedicate the dragon veins of the human world to the evil gods!"

Wang Xuanfu's face became more and more solemn, and he said slowly: "If this is true, then we can only strike them once and for all to completely destroy their plans. We cannot afford to lose this battle."

He paused, raised his head and looked at everyone, his tone more determined: "This matter is of great importance. I will contact several projections of gods from the upper realm to come and help. Among them is Nezha, whom you have seen before."

"Nezha?"

When Li Qingyun heard this, his eyes moved slightly, and he recalled the arrogant young god of war he had seen in the mysterious palace, and he suddenly felt more confident.

He nodded and said:
"If we have the help of the Three Great Gods of the Sea Assembly, our chances of winning this battle will be even better."

……

(End of this chapter)