Mythology

Chapter 342 Who is the groom?
Funeral music and mournful chants filled the air, accompanied by the continuous, somber sound of gongs and drums.

Countless paper figures surrounded the hall decorations, their faces covered in pale lead powder, awaiting the upcoming ghost marriage.

"coming."

Yi Qi Xian raised his head high and noticed a wedding procession returning home.

The resentment was so strong that it could be sensed from a great distance.

He let out a long breath. In any case, at least what Ma Shan said was true; it was indeed possible to indirectly influence the Three Immortal Maidens through a ghost marriage.

The immortals present were all invited and only had a general idea of ​​Ma Shan's plans.

"Yu Yuan, are you alright? Are you able to suppress the Five-Colored Divine Light?"

The head of the Holy Mother of Fire hangs on a wooden chair, blood dripping from her neck. The golden crown in her hair is dull and lifeless, yet it still exudes a scorching aura.

She looked at Yi Qi Xian, who had a fist-sized hole in his head.

The body and bones wanted to be repaired, but the corrosive power of the Five-Colored Divine Light was so strong that even a Great Luo Golden Immortal could not resist it, let alone an ordinary True Immortal.

"It's fine for a short time, cough cough cough."

The Immortal of One Breath was weak and listless, with residual five-colored divine light constantly emanating from his mouth and nose. He glanced back warily and saw that the doors and windows of the hall were wide open.

In the center of the hall, a strange figure stood silently.

The figure was dressed in a crimson suit, moved stiffly, and vaguely resembled Zhao Gongming, but upon closer inspection, it was chilling.

The skin surface is covered with dense suture marks.

A faint black aura seeped from every seam of the neck, wrists, and cheeks, as if something was wriggling beneath the skin.

The figure held a lantern in its right hand, its colorful light radiating outwards.

The flames twisted and flickered, making Ma Shan's facial features appear and disappear.

"Substituting one thing for another, Ma Shan is planning to use the mutilated body to replace Zhao Gongming, and then control the mutilated body to keep the Three Immortal Maidens in check."

Yi Qi Xian was secretly astonished. Only the internal organs of Zhao Gongming's mutilated body were original; the rest of the body was composed of other people's corpses.

It was only thanks to Ma Shan's ability to suppress his remaining body that he was able to break down long ago.

boom!
The flames inside the lantern blazed high, and Ma Shan poked half his face out from within.

"Fellow practitioners, you all know that the sage's arrival is only a dozen days away."

Ma Shan's words abruptly stopped, his gaze sweeping over the assembled immortals. "If you and I want to survive under the sage's remaining power, we must obtain the Primordial Golden Cauldron."

The immortals' expressions were uncertain; none of them had anticipated that the Nine Turns Yellow River Formation would develop to this point, which seemed like a dead end.

Once the saints of the two religions descend, the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation will inevitably undergo drastic changes.

Add to that the insane Yunxiao Niangniang, and no one can withstand the Five-Colored Divine Light; they would most likely all be annihilated.

"Damn it, it's all Shen Gongbao's fault. If I had met him, I would have skinned him alive."

Qingluanzi shook her head, the withered twigs stuck in her hair rustling, and her words drew a chorus of agreement from the other immortals.

“Brother is right. We were able to come and go freely in the Nine Turns Yellow River Formation before.”

Xuanzhenzi's brows were filled with murderous intent. He, Qingluanzi, and Yunshanzi were known as the Three Immortals of West Kunlun. Although he was just a wandering immortal, when had he ever suffered such a humiliating misfortune?

Originally intending to covet the Daoist resources of the Three Immortal Maidens, they ended up trapped in the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation.

Now, they are even more powerless to control their own destiny.

They could only enter and exit the Hunyuan Golden Cauldron by being decapitated, feeling like rats crossing the street, trying every means to avoid the attention of the Three Immortal Maidens.

"Ma Shan, I wonder who gets the Hunyuan Golden Cauldron that you collected?"

The immortal who spoke was named Du'e Zhenren. If Yang He were nearby, he would surely recognize this wandering immortal as none other than Li Jing's nominal master.

The immortals' breathing became heavy, and they all turned to Ma Shan without prior arrangement.

That's a supreme innate treasure!!

Primordial treasures only arise at the time of creation, and no matter how many years pass in later generations, their number has not increased by even one.

Ma Shan said calmly, "The Hunyuan Golden Cauldron was bestowed upon Lady Yunxiao by the Tongtian Sect Master. After the Sage descends, it will naturally be returned to its rightful owner. But rest assured, the Sage will never be stingy with spiritual treasures."

Upon hearing the words "Master of the Heavenly Sect," the immortals couldn't help but feel lingering fear.

A sudden gust of cold wind rose in the hall, causing the paper figures to rustle. The flickering light from the lanterns cast an unpredictable and somber glow on their faces.

Ma Shan spoke again: "Once the two coffins arrive, I will immediately replace Zhao Gongming with my mutilated body. You must stop Lady Qiongxiao, otherwise all our efforts will be in vain."

"can."

"kindness."

Among the Three Immortal Maidens, Qiongxiao is second only to Yunxiao, but she is the weakest and only appears in the Hunyuan Golden Bucket.

"Fellow Daoist Ma Shan."

Yun Shanzi surveyed the wedding procession, which had already covered most of the distance, and wondered, "What is the connection between Zhao Gongming and the Three Immortal Maidens?"

He added with a half-smile, "If they were just ordinary fellow disciples, why would Lady Yunxiao, in her madness, still be so fixated on Zhao Gongming?"

The Holy Mother of Fire Spirit hesitated before explaining, "They were fellow disciples at the beginning of time. Before joining the Jie Sect, they were already enlightened immortals. They refused to enter the inner sect and have been cultivating in the outer sect ever since."

“However,” Ma Shan’s voice suddenly rang out, “the Three Immortal Maidens of today are no longer the Three Immortal Maidens of yesteryear.”

"They are evil spirits formed from the resentment of the dead. They are no longer themselves; they are merely in the form of their lingering obsessions."

The Immortal of One Qi suddenly looked up, black blood seeping from the pit on his forehead. The Holy Mother of Fire Spirit trembled slightly, and the flames on her golden crown flickered for a moment.

Although the two were cultivators of the Jie Sect, they had never heard of such a statement before.

"Dead? Why would the Three Immortal Maidens perish?" Ma Shan crawled into the lantern, his words devoid of emotion. "I heard that after the Three Immortal Maidens failed to sever their three corpses, they met with the Tongtian Sect Leader, and soon after, they became evil spirits..."

"That's impossible. Lady Yunxiao severed her three corpses a thousand years ago."

Ma Shan did not respond, but stared at the Holy Mother of Fire Spirit with a quiet gaze.

The Holy Mother of Fire Spirit shuddered and stopped asking questions. Since the cause of death of the Three Immortal Maidens was not the failure to sever the Three Corpses, it must be closely related to their contact with the Tongtian Sect Master.

They are beyond their comprehension, and a slight misstep could easily lead to their death.

"The marriage is coming; be careful of Lady Qiongxiao."

Ma Shan extinguished the flames and focused all his attention on Zhao Gongming's mangled body.

This trip is the only chance. After taking control of the Hunyuan Golden Bucket, we must immediately search for the whereabouts of the Dinghai Pearl. Since the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation does not have the aura of the Dinghai Pearl, it must be hidden here.

Ma Shan looked down on the wandering immortals of West Kunlun, but they were right about one thing.

Shen Gongbao deserves to die!!
The mournful sound of suona horns drifted from afar, signaling that the wedding procession had arrived at the gate.

Two vermilion coffins stood side by side, their bodies wrapped in bright red silk and adorned with gilded double happiness characters, sending a chill down one's spine for no apparent reason.

The paper figures turned their heads in unison, their pale faces bearing stiff and eerie smiles drawn with cinnabar, silently welcoming the bride and groom.

Ma Shan hurriedly reminded, "The two evil spirits will leave the coffin, especially Lady Qiongxiao. We must not let her set foot in the hall."

The moment the coffin stepped into the courtyard.

boom!
The coffin on the left side suddenly shuddered, and a real aura of resentment seeped out from the lid. The coffin shook violently, and the sound of fingernails scraping could be heard.

Ma Shan's firelight suddenly contracted as he stared at the other coffin with a puzzled look.

Why is there no movement in the coffin containing the groom?
Before he could investigate further, the red silk on the left side of the coffin was torn in half.

The coffin lid was lifted a crack, and a pale arm suddenly reached out, its five fingers like hooks, gripping the edge of the coffin tightly, its fingernails filled with minced flesh.

"Stop her!" Ma Shan shouted. "We absolutely cannot let her out!"

Qingluanzi urged the withered branch on her hair bun, and the branch grew in the wind, transforming into a long thorny whip that tightly bound the coffin several times.

Xuanzhenzi formed hand seals, and a beam of azure light shot out, striking the pale hand directly.

Lady Qiongxiao let out a sharp roar, her resentment surging. Her thorny whip was completely unable to stop the lid from opening, and splinters of wood flew everywhere!
The long, narrow neck extends slowly from it.

Lady Qiongxiao had long, flowing hair and eyes without pupils, only pitch blackness. She kept repeating the words "my lord" in her mouth.

Upon seeing this, all the immortals offered up their hidden treasures.

Seven copper coins flew out from the sleeve of the True Man of Du'e, forming the Big Dipper formation in the air and suppressing the head of the Goddess Qiongxiao.

Despite his injuries, Yi Qi Xian summoned chains to wrap around Lady Qiong Xiao's neck.

"seal up!"

Qingluan spat a mouthful of blood essence onto the thorny whip, and the whip ignited with eerie green flames, scorching Qiongxiao Niangniang's flesh.

Lady Qiongxiao let out a mournful wail, yet she still struggled to climb out of the coffin.

at the same time.

Ma Shan had already controlled Zhao Gongming's mangled body and led him out of the hall, step by step towards the coffin on the right, with the firelight flickering intermittently.

When Zhao Gongming's remains were only half a meter away from the coffin, Ma Shan couldn't help but be stunned.

Strange noises came from inside the coffin.

There was a rustling sound like insects crawling, followed by the roars of wild beasts.

"Something's not right. There should only be Zhao Gongming's skin inside the coffin!"

The lantern's flame flickered violently.

"What's going on?" The Holy Mother of Fire Spirit noticed the abnormality. The immortals, after all, only had heads and could no longer hold on. "Ma Shan, why aren't you making a move?"

Ma Shan dared not hesitate, for the immortals present were all a motley crew.

If he showed even the slightest intention to back down, everyone would choose to give up within moments.

The lantern flames surged, manipulating Zhao Gongming's mangled body to crash into the coffin lid. Immediately, a half-finger gap appeared in the lid, and the stench of death rushed out.

Ma Shan saw a body dressed in formal attire lying inside the coffin.

“That’s right, only Zhao Gongming can wear formal attire.”

He felt a sense of relief, and with his mangled body, he disappeared into the coffin, and the lid closed again.

"Next, all we need to do is put the remaining internal organs into Zhao Gongming's skin, and rely on Master Ran Deng to refine them..."

The lantern flames flickered violently, illuminating the true face of the corpse.

It was a completely unfamiliar face!

"If it's not Zhao Gongming's corpse, where would this living person come from!"

"I've seen him."

Ma Shan recalled that they had crossed paths during the Nuwa Festival, when Yang He was just a novice Taoist novice.

How dare a mere novice Taoist priest... how dare he ruin my arrangements!!!
Yang He wore a strange smile as he opened his mouth and spat out countless eye worms, which instantly covered the mangled body's organs.

"How dare you!!!"

Ma Shan opened his mouth and spat out karmic fire, but Yang He's grand gift had been prepared for a long time.

The body was torn to pieces, and the organs had lost their vitality and become dead flesh.

(End of this chapter)