I Killed Gods and Demons in Song Dynasty
Chapter 284 Yuxu Arrives
Chapter 284 Yuxu Arrives
On the top of the city wall of Bianjing, before the morning light appeared, a sky full of rosy clouds suddenly rolled in from the east, as if a divine army was breaking through the sky, and the sound shook the world for thousands of miles.
Outside the Zichen Palace, a strange fragrance suddenly filled the air, as if it were an elixir elixir made by immortals, and in an instant it spread throughout the entire imperial city.
The fragrance was not the ordinary scent of sandalwood, but more like smoke and dust falling from the sky. It was weird in its coldness, and it made people feel an indescribable awe and uneasiness in their hearts.
When the imperial guards heard this strange sight, they all looked up and saw a colorful cloud emerging outside the palace wall and slowly descending in front of the magnificent palace gate.
In the center of the cloud, several immortals in fluttering Taoist robes were sitting on a cloud carpet, with solemn appearances and their sleeves dancing as if without wind.
Emperor Renzong Zhao Zhen was confused when he heard the news in the inner hall, but he had to go out to greet him in person with all the officials.
On the imperial road, the sound of the Changle bell suddenly rang, and the eunuchs in the palace shouted shrilly:
"The Immortal from Yuxu Palace has arrived—"
Zhao Zhen, wearing a crown and robes, walked quickly to the golden steps, lowered his hands and bowed slightly to the leading immortal who was wearing a silk scarf and holding a whisk.
The immortal bowed slightly and said softly:
"I have come to the mortal world to save the common people in accordance with the order of Senior Brother Guangchengzi. I hope Your Majesty will be at ease."
As he spoke, a ray of colorful divine light flowed from his sleeves, spinning in the air like a living thing, scattering tiny spots of light, which instantly made all the ministers feel as if they were covered by holy light.
Zhao Zhen couldn't help but take a breath, wondering when he could see such magical powers. It was indeed far superior to ordinary weapons.
The Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple and several military officers were whispering in the back, their faces full of doubt.
Although they admired the methods of these immortals, they also sensed an invisible oppression in the divine light, which made people feel frightened, as if half of their body was being tightly grasped.
Zhao Zhen suppressed his anxiety and said to the immortal:
"Since the Three Realms were in chaos, wars have broken out all over the world. Fortunately, I have the Master's mercy, so I have the opportunity to rebuild the country."
The immortal smiled and nodded, but his eyes drifted outside the hall, as if he was inspecting the common people rather than staring at Zhao Zhen. He appeared neither humble nor arrogant, but instead exuded an air of superiority that surpassed all others.
The ministers looked at the immortals strolling on the golden steps. There seemed to be no dust under their feet, and their steps were so light that it was frightening.
Several officials from the Ministry of Rites were waiting nearby, burning incense and offering a sandalwood table, saying:
"Welcome to the Immortal, please grant me your will to protect our dynasty."
The immortal held out his hand, and the sandalwood table was filled with seven-colored light. He laughed:
"In order to protect the people of the Song Dynasty from disaster, we will definitely help you with all our strength."
But when these words were heard in the hall, they seemed to carry some kind of stereotyped meaning of the sound of metal and stone, which made people shudder.
At this moment, the loyal and righteous generals who had just retreated to the side hall were still discussing, and there was a sense of vigilance in their words.
Someone murmured:
"Although the Dao Sect claims to protect the world, it may not really care about our people. If it borrows the fate of our Song Dynasty to gain faith, won't there be no freedom in the world from now on?"
Another old minister sighed:
"Alas, the gods and demons are in chaos now, and mortals are busy taking care of themselves. If we don't rely on the magical powers of the immortals, I'm afraid it will be difficult to stabilize the country."
Everyone was divided, and the court was in a state of panic.
On the imperial road in the distance, a rider on a fast horse came galloping and reported that a troop had arrived outside the north gate. The rider claimed to be Li Qingyun, the former captain of Kaifeng Prefecture, and he was leading the rebel soldiers into the city.
Upon hearing the news, Zhao Zhen was invigorated and said:
"Why don't you hurry up and announce your visit?"
However, Li Qingyun, who had just entered the palace gate, felt a chill halfway through, as if an invisible ghost was lurking and peeping at him from between the golden tiles and glazed tiles.
He looked up and saw strange runes faintly flashing in the eaves area, like some kind of Taoist prohibition, but mixed with an indescribable twisted power.
The power made his heart jump suddenly, as if it was the ancient oppression he had felt in the ancient times, but it was even more weird than before.
Deep in the palace, someone was watching his every move.
Li Qingyun frowned slightly, thinking to himself:
"The Yuxu Palace is indeed not an ordinary group. They set up a heavenly altar in the palace in the name of Taoism. Do they really want to control the foundation of our Song Dynasty?"
He paused slightly and took a deep breath. The next moment he saw a eunuch coming out to greet him, saying that His Majesty and the immortals from the Yuxu Palace were waiting for him to see him in the Zichen Hall.
Li Qingyun nodded slightly.
He walked forward with the waiter, passing by the heavily guarded palace gate, only to see that the guards had all been replaced by disciples of Yuxu Palace, and the former imperial guards had withdrawn to the back hall.
The disciples looked indifferent, as if they regarded everything except the Taoist sect as ants.
Li Qingyun secretly clenched his fists, but did not attack at this moment.
Outside the Purple Palace, Zhao Zhen and all the officials had already walked out a few steps.
The immortal stroked his whisk gently, with a hint of indifference on the corner of his mouth, as if smiling but not smiling.
Li Qingyun saw this scene from afar, saluted Zhao Zhen, and then nodded to the immortal very politely.
The immortal nodded in return:
"I have long heard that Captain Li once protected the land of the Song Dynasty and made great contributions to the country. Seeing him today, I can see that he is indeed a man of extraordinary bearing."
Although these words are spoken with a sense of respect, they are neither humble nor arrogant, and imply a sense of scrutiny.
Li Qingyun just responded calmly:
"With so little effort, how dare you claim your merits?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense.
Many ministers were secretly observing the expressions of both sides, worried that if a conflict came between the two, the court would be unable to quell it.
Zhao Zhen laughed dryly twice and asked someone to bring tea cups in an attempt to ease the situation.
The tea exuded a delicate floral fragrance. Li Qingyun took a sip, but he was already on guard in his heart.
There seemed to be a trace of spiritual energy flowing in the tea. If it weren't for his profound skills, his energy and consciousness would have been taken away silently.
The immortal smiled without saying anything, as if waiting for Li Qingyun's reaction.
Li Qingyun put down the teacup, his expression unchanged, but he was thinking in his heart:
"Sure enough, this door has bad intentions."
Zhao Zhen saw that although the two were polite and considerate, there was a hint of conflict between them, so he quickly asked:
"Now outside of Bianjing, demons are rampant, and I am really unable to sleep or eat. I wonder if you two have a good plan to solve this urgent problem?"
The immortal slowly waved his whisk, his tone full of confidence:
"With the presence of the masters of Yuxu Palace, we don't need to worry about the stubborn demons. We just need to let the people of the country worship the Taoist altar day and night, and we can use this supreme faith to intimidate the demons."
Before he finished speaking, Li Qingyun frowned slightly and couldn't help but speak:
"How can the people afford large-scale sacrifices when they are displaced? If we make more sacrifices just to protect ourselves, isn't that putting the cart before the horse?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell silent and no one dared to agree.
The immortal's eyes were stern, and he looked directly at Li Qingyun:
"Captain Li, do you intend to question our Dao sect's ability to protect the world?"
Li Qingyun is neither humble nor arrogant:
"When saving people, we should first solve their problems, rather than adding to their burdens."
There were many loyal and upright old ministers in the hall. When they heard this, they secretly applauded in their hearts, but they were also worried that the immortal would get angry out of shame.
But the immortal just chuckled and turned to Zhao Zhen:
"Your Majesty, there is no need to rush. Once I have completed the construction of the altar, the world will be clear and bright one day."
Zhao Zhen still had a smile on his face, but he couldn't hide his embarrassment.
He did not dare to offend the immortal easily, but he also knew that Li Qingyun had a very high prestige in the army, so he had to make a few vague remarks to deal with the confrontation.
At the back hall, several generals came in a hurry on horseback to report that there were strange phenomena outside the city again. It seemed that a cold wind was blowing, bone demons were appearing, and the people were frequently harassed. They requested the court to send reinforcements immediately.
Zhao Zhen's face immediately changed, and he kept asking:
"Master, please send your disciples to suppress the rebellion immediately, or ask Captain Li to lead troops to rescue them."
The immortal narrowed his eyes slightly and was not in a hurry to answer.
Seeing this, Li Qingyun knew that the Taoist sect would not act rashly this time, and would most likely wait for him to lead the charge personally.
He bowed and said loudly:
"I am willing to lead the army out of the city first and make sure the people are safe."
Zhao Zhen felt relieved and ordered Li Qingyun to go there immediately.
The immortal raised his whisk lightly, and a faint ray of colorful light fell in the air:
"That's good, Captain Li is really kind-hearted."
Li Qingyun said no more and walked out of the hall, but he felt a chill in his heart.
The chill was not simply hostility towards Taoism, but an invisible pressure, as if it was spying on the destiny of the entire Song Dynasty from somewhere deep in the palace, just like the greedy gods of ancient times, waiting for all living beings to fall into its trap.
After Li Qingyun left, in the Purple Palace, the immortal whispered to Zhao Zhen: "Your Majesty, don't worry. As long as the power of our Taoist sect grows stronger, all the demons will be reduced to ashes."
Zhao Zhen lowered his eyes in response, but he couldn't hide the worry between his brows.
In the distant sky outside the palace, the rosy clouds were still brilliant, but behind that splendor, there seemed to be an indescribable darkness hidden.
This darkness is silent, and it seems like some giant creature opening strange eyes in the clouds, overlooking the people running around restlessly under its feet.
The shock in the court of Bian Jing had already sown the seeds of new disaster.
Everyone seemed to be in the center of a vortex, but no one knew that the real storm had not yet arrived. Perhaps in the next moment, a terrible force would devour this fragile peace.
…The night was falling, and the wilderness outside Bianjing was dead silent.
Suddenly, a gray light rose from the distant horizon, as if it was a foul mist gushing out from the cracks in the ground. It mixed with the night sky, faintly emitting an unspeakable smell of decay.
Several wild dogs that were looking for food suddenly ran away in panic, barking shrilly.
The light of the torches flickered faintly on the official road, and several Song army scouts took advantage of the dim light to keep watch on the surroundings.
They moved forward cautiously, taking every step carefully, for fear of disturbing some evil creature lurking in the darkness.
A long and narrow crack can be vaguely seen on the horizon ahead, like the mouth of a giant beast. Sometimes ghostly green fire flashes, and sometimes cold wind blows, blowing up dead grass and dust, making people feel cold to the bone.
"That's where the bone demons appear?"
A young sergeant's voice trembled and he couldn't help swallowing.
The old scout in the lead stopped his horse and looked at the crack where light and shadow intertwined, frowning:
"Looking at the situation, the bone demons are probably endless. Hurry back and report the news."
At the command, the young soldiers turned their horses around and galloped towards Bian Jing at lightning speed.
The north wind was blowing, and I hadn't walked far when I heard a shrill scream behind me, like the roar of countless evil spirits, which made people's minds break.
The soldier was so frightened that he dared not look back. He spurred his horse hard, hoping to get back to the city to report the news before dawn.
But he ultimately failed to see that in the crack, large pale bone shadows were rapidly crawling, and withered devil claws stretched out and cruelly captured his stranded companions.
The originally peaceful wilderness suddenly turned into a purgatory on earth. Faintly, one could see the rising netherworld fire, illuminating the overlapping figures of the bone demons, like a jungle of bones wriggling in the abyss.
This is the beginning of the night.
And a bigger storm is still brewing.
In front of the north gate of Bianjing, the Song army guarding the city were still patrolling diligently. They had no idea what kind of misfortune would befall them tonight, but they felt that the wind was three points colder than usual.
Li Qingyun stood on the city wall, staring into the distance.
He had just received a secret report saying that countless bone demons were pouring out of the crack and the village might have fallen in an instant.
When he thought of the tragic scene of separation between life and death, his heart became heavy, and his right hand holding the knife unconsciously tightened a little.
Mu Guiying beside him also had a solemn expression. The faint light from the torch was reflected by her armor, making her face look heroic.
"Qingyun, this is a place we can reach with our army, but the army has not yet been assembled. If the Bone Demon attacks, we..."
Before she finished speaking, a whimpering sound suddenly came from the darkness in the distance, as if countless dead souls were crying in the wind.
Then, an ominous ghost fire appeared on the horizon, gradually growing from small to large, and finally overwhelming the city wall.
The soldiers guarding the city were all terrified and turned their eyes to Li Qingyun, waiting for orders.
Li Qingyun swung his sleeves and shouted, "Archers, take your positions!"
Before he finished speaking, the ghost fire was already a hundred feet away. In the light of the fire, he could see countless bone demons holding up cold blades, their bodies hunched but their movements swift.
They look like humans on the surface, but are made entirely of white bones. No flesh or blood can be seen, yet they can unleash terrifying strength and speed.
Some bone demons had long bone spurs on their backs, like giant scorpion tails; some bone demons climbed out directly from the depths of the cracks, with dark mist wrapped around their bodies, causing the surrounding grass and trees to wither in an instant.
"Fire the arrow——"
Mu Guiying waved the command flag in her hand heavily.
At that moment, thousands of arrows were fired from the city walls, and the rain of arrows poured down like hail, shooting towards the group of bones with sharp sounds of breaking through the air.
Rockets and sharp arrows intertwined, nailing the first batch of bone demons to the ground.
However, the bone demons in the rear continued to rush towards the city gate, and their numbers were almost endless.
Some bone demons even used the bodies of their companions to climb up, approaching the city wall like a rapidly rising bone wall.
"Quick! Bring me the oil tanks, rolling logs and thunder stones and throw them down!"
A captain of the Song army shouted orders and waved the steel knife in his hand wildly, wishing he could jump down and fight the bone demon to the death himself.
Li Qingyun suddenly leaped onto the battlement, spiritual energy surging around him. The sound waves like the evening drum of the imperial city spread out under his feet, making people involuntarily feel awe.
He drew his sword, and the light of the sword made half of the night sky shine like daylight. Then a strong wind blew up, chopping the large group of bone demons in the front row into pieces.
However, although this sword was powerful, it failed to completely stop the subsequent bone demon frenzy.
The remaining bone demons made strange gurgling sounds from their mouths, similar to human sneers, but more like the sinister taunts coming from the ghost den of hell.
On the city wall, the Song army was a little panicked. When their arrows were almost exhausted, they had to fight the bone demon with swords.
From time to time, you can see soldiers being torn apart by sharp bones, and blood splattering under the night sky. The bleak scene is terrifying.
In the city, the people who saw this situation were already in panic and chaos.
Crying, footsteps, and panicked shouts echoed between the houses, as if the entire city was caught in an endless nightmare.
Li Qingyun breathed rapidly, gritted his teeth, and mobilized his internal energy, allowing the shadow of the mysterious palace to appear behind him.
A faint gray mist rose from his body, as if some indescribable shadow stretched out in an instant, and a faint sigh was heard, as if awakening the dormant ancient will.
He knew that power should not be abused, but he had no time to think about it.
Suddenly, there was a strong wind between heaven and earth, as if a huge deep sea tide was crashing against the shore.
The next moment, a blazing divine fire burst out from the phantom of the palace, as powerful as thunder, instantly burning through the bone demon array.
Screams rang out one after another, and bone demons fell to the ground in groups, turning into scattered broken bones.
Seeing the unparalleled power of this attack, the morale of the Song army suddenly rose. They raised their arms and shouted wildly, taking advantage of the situation to kill the remaining bone demons.
However, at this moment, a ball of dark fog suddenly emerged from the crack, as if a bloody mouth that had been torn open opened again.
Immediately afterwards, a giant bone demon covered with spikes appeared under the hazy moonlight.
It was three meters high, and every step it took shook the earth, like a mountain of corpses from hell.
In an instant, the weather changed color, dust flew outside the city gate, and the entire row of Song army soldiers were frightened and turned pale.
Li Qingyun's heart suddenly tightened. Before he could gather the strength of his sword, the giant bone demon opened his bloody mouth and suddenly spewed out a miasma like a blazing flame, heading straight for the city wall.
Dozens of soldiers were caught off guard and were enveloped by the miasma. They fell to the ground howling in pain, their bodies rotting and turning into a pile of white bones. The scene was extremely horrifying.
"Retreat - everyone retreat to the second city wall!"
Li Qingyun shouted loudly, his eyes blazing with anger.
He rushed into the smoke and dust with his knife, trying to stop the giant creature.
At this moment, a beam of colorful light suddenly appeared under the city and then bloomed in the night sky.
Several "Hedao Realm" sub-gods from Yuxu Palace, along with several Taoist disciples, came rushing over on the clouds, muttering something, and casting the Five Thunder Formation, striking the bone demon giant with the force of thunder and lightning, causing thousands of feet of sparks to explode.
Seeing this, the Song army cheered:
"Reinforcements have arrived!"
However, Li Qingyun was not completely at peace.
He could sense that within the immense power of the Five Thunder Formation, there seemed to be a kind of destructive aura that made no distinction between living things. If there was even the slightest deviation, the entire city wall and the people in the city might be affected.
Amid the roar, the bone giant was struck by lightning, and his bones were shattered. The miasma turned into black mist and dissipated in the sky.
However, the land outside Bian Jing was also cracked by the powerful magic power, and countless cracks appeared like a spider web. A strange smell of burning and corruption could be faintly smelled on the ground, making people feel suffocated and want to vomit.
The immortals looked down at the battlefield, chanted their Buddhist names, and glanced at Li Qingyun with disdain.
Li Qingyun put away his sword and stood still, looking at the gradually dispersing figures of the Yuxu Palace disciples, feeling extremely annoyed.
He knew that although the army from the spiritual world had been temporarily expelled this time, the threat of the bone demon had not been eliminated, and the cracks were still spewing out strange dark fog.
The people had just experienced a nightmare. It seemed that they had saved the city gate, but they didn't know when the second or third wave of attacks would come.
The midnight wind howled, tearing at corpses and broken flags, bringing with it a heart-wrenching fear.
Li Qingyun raised his eyes and looked into the distance, only to see faint starlight in the sky, flickering, as if being watched by a pair of unknown eyes.
This disaster of blood and fire is just the beginning; the real catastrophe may have just begun.
His heart sank, and he secretly made up his mind: he must never let this land fall into the ravages of gods and demons again.
Even though the road ahead is full of dangers, he will swear to defend the last light in the world.
(End of this chapter)
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