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Chapter 324 Corpse Tide and Blood Sea

"what is that?"

"Dark clouds..."

As the Qingyun Marriage Festival approaches, countless young men from noble families gather in a celestial garden in Zhongzhou, strolling around and searching for suitable marriage partners.

Before the atmosphere could get lively, many people noticed that the sky was getting dark quickly.

The young man and woman instinctively looked up and, upon seeing the writhing black thing, immediately held their breath.

In an instant, a shrill sound like grinding stones awakened the entire city. Overwhelming evil creatures, carrying a heavy aura of malevolence, crashed down with ferocious expressions.

"boom!!!!"

As its heavy body fell, it carved a deep trench in the ground, then struggled to its feet and rushed into the city.

One, two, three...

With a snap, the city guard was swallowed whole, exploding into a pool of blood.

Then, they trampled and tore at each other, rushing into the city, smashing down city walls and houses, and frantically surging towards the most densely populated areas.

Wherever they went, houses collapsed and corpses littered the ground.

The quiet city was thrown into chaos in an instant, with countless piercing cries echoing throughout the city.

"What's going on? What happened? Where did so many evil creatures come from?"

"There are so many, I can't even see any direction, they're everywhere!"

The powerful families gathered in Zhongzhou reacted quickly. The moment they sensed something was wrong, their protective formations instantly rose up, enveloping the entire ancestral land.

However, those ferocious evil creatures were merely dead shells, showing no fear whatsoever, and still charged towards the array that was radiating profound light with undiminished momentum.

The first batch of evil creatures crashed into the great formation, emitting bloodcurdling screams, and were then annihilated in a mass of killing intent.

But the second batch of evil beings stepped over their corpses, their sharp claws plunging fiercely into the mysterious light.

Then came the third batch, the fourth batch...

What was originally a grand formation protecting aristocratic families was instantly enveloped by the writhing horde of corpses, turning into a massive sphere. Trampled and pulled, the evil creatures, scrambling to get ahead, had only a thirst for slaughter in their eyes.

"boom!!"

"boom!!!"

"boom!!!!"

With the continuous attacks, the grand formations of many aristocratic families were directly shattered, and amidst countless screams, the stench of blood surged forth.

After the end of the Primordial Era, the human race rose to power. During this period, there were corpse plagues for various reasons, but never on such a horrifying scale, which was like a locust plague.

Seeing this, the noble families that had not yet been covered by the zombie horde instantly abandoned their protective formations and rushed to take off to the north.

Before long, countless carriages and treasure ships took off into the sky.

Since the evil species lacks the ability to fly, theoretically speaking, flying is the safest option.

But as countless people fled into the sky, the evil creatures on the ground shrieked and soared into the air with an unbelievable leap, directly climbing densely onto the speeding immortal ship.

Amidst the violent shaking, the first celestial ship to take off suddenly tilted and then crashed violently into another celestial ship.

"Too many, too many..."

"Don't panic, head to Shengjing immediately to avoid disaster!"

On the west side of Zhongzhou, the head of the He family raised his hands to the sky, and a beam of immortal light shot out, directly repelling a large number of evil creatures. Then, he shouted and ordered his family members to immediately head northeast.

Individually, these things aren't particularly strong, but their numbers are simply too vast.

Fighting with manpower alone will eventually exhaust all resources.

Moreover, they have many younger family members, so evacuating immediately is the best course of action.

The protective formations of the seven great immortal sects, as well as the imperial capital formation of Shengjing, all share the same origin as the Northern Border City Wall.

That level of formation had withstood the barbarians for a thousand years; these dead bodies, no matter how strong, could not possibly break through it.

At this shout, the elders of the clans split up to kill the evil spirits, while the younger generation was protected in the middle, and the group began to head west.

Other surviving aristocratic families from Zhongzhou were also in this group, such as the Qiu, Liu, and Sheng families who followed the He family. Upon hearing this, they immediately followed. On their escape route, they also encountered the Zuoqiu family, as well as the Huang, Zhou, and Lü families who had come with them.

Amidst the heavy stench of blood, the evil seeds rained down like a torrential downpour.

Then they converged into a wave, rushing and chasing after it.

Their numbers were simply too vast, and their innate physical bodies were incredibly strong. Many cultivators of lower realms were inevitably devoured on the spot by the swarming evil creatures.

Amidst the splattering blood, countless people were terrified.

The Qiu, Huang, and Sheng families were the weakest among them. Although they followed the He and Zuoqiu families, they were not of the same clan and would not receive proper care.

So after speeding for a short while, they saw a huge wave surging in, directly separating them from the several large families.

Upon seeing this, countless people immediately channeled their boundless spiritual energy into themselves and chased after the enemy relentlessly, disregarding their own lives.

Because they knew that if they were left behind, they would all die here.

But while the vision is beautiful, reality is often incredibly cruel.

The remnants of the race possessed innate strength, surpassing the lower three realms of the human race from the very beginning.

At this moment, hordes of evil creatures rushed in with shrill cries, their ferocious faces closing in as if they wanted to devour everything.

"Pfft!"

Blood gushed out, and severed limbs flew everywhere.

In an instant, countless disciples guarding the perimeter were killed or wounded.

The three heads of powerful families waved their hands to protect their young members, their eyes wide with despair as they faced their impending death.

However, just as the stench was overwhelming, a clear and crisp sword cry suddenly came from the heavens, like the cry of a phoenix, instantly drowning out the roars of thousands of evil creatures and awakening everyone.

Out of the corner of their eye, everyone opened their eyes wide and looked up.

Beneath the churning air, a dazzling sword light cleaved through the gray mist with a thunderous roar, resembling a cascading silver river.

Before the sword even arrived, the dozens of evil creatures at the forefront were already cracked open.

The next moment, the magnificent sword energy crashed down, and the surrounding air instantly exploded under the immense pressure.

Wherever the sword energy passed, the evil race collapsed like waves of wheat, and limbs and severed arms filled the sky in an instant. The lingering sword intent also carved a deep abyss into the ground, raising a dust storm that blotted out the sky and stretched for hundreds of miles.

At this moment, the members of the He family, Zuoqiu family, Fang family, Peng family and other prominent families who were speeding ahead stopped in shock and turned around to look back.

High above, Ji You, with his blazing aura, floated in the sky like the rising sun, his lingering sword intent still resonating throughout the heavens.

Without a moment's hesitation, everyone immediately stood up and rushed forward during the opening created by the sword strike.

As for the Huang, Qiu, and Sheng families, they didn't dare to delay for a moment. They immediately got up and caught up with the main group, continuing westward.

When they encountered the high wall where the evil creatures were attacking, the group saw that figure in the crowd again. He drew his sword and swiftly cut a gap in the horde of corpses.

Seeing this, the fleeing scions of noble families couldn't help but look towards the Qiu family members following behind.
When Ji You first entered the inner courtyard, the He family intended to act as matchmaker, marrying Qiu Hanyue to Ji You as a concubine.

At the time, Qiu Hanyue tried every possible way to refuse, and the head of the Qiu family seemed to think that a rural private cultivator was nothing special, so he used every means possible and finally succeeded in refusing.

At this moment, the Qiu family patriarch, whose family had lost countless members, remained silent, as if his soul had been scattered.

Ji You's sword strike wasn't to save anyone; it was to break through the horde of corpses.

But he suddenly realized that if the relationship had been different, that sword strike might have come much faster, and perhaps so many people in his family wouldn't have died.

During this time, only Sheng Xiyu, who had tried her best as a close friend to persuade Qiu Hanyue to break off the engagement so as not to be laughed at, did not dare to turn back or say a word.

However, during the ensuing escape, the sword energy that seemed to cleave the heavens did not reappear.

The He family patriarch and Elder He Long, along with the Zuoqiu and Fang families, along with two Wujiang and four Yingtian, continuously used the Thunder and Fire Technique to repel the flying attacks time and time again. After getting a chance to catch their breath, they couldn't help but look at Ji You, who was hiding in the crowd, and suddenly realized something.

This person isn't here to help; they're just here to freeload...

In fact, they were not wrong.

Ji You was heading in the same direction as them, but the zombie horde was surging, so when she saw their huge group, she decided to hitch a ride to avoid exhausting herself.

The two swords were a gift, given as a token of sincerity.

Meanwhile, he huddled among the crowd, running frantically...

"boom!!!"

As the head of the Zuoqiu family flipped his palm, a beam of heavenly light crashed down, sending all the evil creatures flying hundreds of feet away.

Upon seeing this, Ji You's thoughts sank slightly.

He came from the border of Youzhou, urging the coachman to flee for his life before fighting his way here. He clearly sensed that the evil species that appeared this time was stronger than before.

However, instead of rushing towards the villages where the common people lived, they precisely targeted and destroyed countless powerful families, as if they were guided by some unseen force.

"boom!!!"

Amidst the roar of magic, the initial surge was quickly broken through by the united aristocratic families, and subsequently, cultivators from other places joined the ranks.

Although the increased number of people made the march faster, the number of deaths and injuries also began to rise.

Having fought their way through the carnage, everyone had become numb to the intense stench of blood, as if they had grown accustomed to it.

Just then, people suddenly saw a figure soar into the air, the scorching heat spreading like the first rays of dawn. Looking up, they saw Ji You break away from the group and fly off in a completely different direction.

That was the most densely populated place of evil creatures, with shrieks, pulling, trampling, and writhing, as dense as a tsunami.

The moment Ji You took to the air, the overwhelming sword energy in his hand also descended from the sky, instantly cutting a huge gap in the horde of corpses and penetrating deep into it, leaving everyone who watched in astonishment.

Astonished by his extraordinary combat prowess, and also astonished that they did not know where he was going, they could only see the ever-rising sword energy soaring into the sky with him.

Half an hour later, Ji You arrived at Lin Yuan City alone.

By this time, the city was already a scene of ruins and devastation.

Among them were many evil creatures that were gnawing on corpses, which immediately swarmed over upon seeing people arrive.

Ji You gripped his longsword tightly and slashed out with a sudden movement.

The attacking evil creature was cut in half at the waist, and the massive sword energy directly collapsed a pavilion, pinning down the remaining attacking evil creatures below.

At this moment, Ji You flew to the front of a mansion, his eyes gleaming with golden light as he scanned the surroundings.

This is another family on the list, the Du family, which is the family to which Du Zhu belongs.

At this time, the Du family's house had been overwhelmed by the zombie horde; brick walls collapsed and tiles crumbled.

Strangely, there wasn't a single corpse in the entire collapsed courtyard, not even a trace of blood, as if the courtyard was already deserted before the zombie horde arrived.

Ji You had been investigating for a while when he suddenly heard a sharp roar and instantly stood up.

The evil creatures from afar roared in, regrouping into a horde of corpses. They leaped from the collapsed city walls and frantically attacked, like a dam bursting.

Seeing that the number of evil corpses was increasing, Ji You turned around and sped off towards the southwest.

Only after all the evil seeds were lured to the southwest did Ji You's scorching energy suddenly erupt, propelling him into the sky before landing in a city to the northeast, where he quickly concealed his aura.

Facing us was still a collapsed courtyard house, the shattered gatehouse reduced to a pile of rubble, with a white character on one of the cracked door panels.

Like the Du family, there was no corpse or bloodstain in the Bai family's courtyard.

If he guessed correctly, the aristocratic families he had visited before should now be mostly deserted.

It wasn't that there was tight security or any hidden trickery; in fact, those people had already disappeared after the Immortal Gathering, and then the zombie horde suddenly surged.

Whether it's the timing or the bizarre behavior, it's all too coincidental. As his arrogant friend once said, too many coincidences mean it's definitely not a coincidence.

Four years ago and four years later, it seems that all of this was done by the same group of people.

Ji You scanned the vast family mansion with his bright golden eyes. Without the protection of the clan's array, everything in the courtyard was clearly visible to him.

Soon, his eyes widened slightly, and after pondering for a long time, he walked through the courtyard and left.

Under the dim sky, the screech of the evil creature continued, sometimes near, sometimes far, sending chills down one's spine.

Every now and then, there were sounds of buildings collapsing, which made people's hearts tremble.

Ji You walked to the ninth courtyard of the Bai family, passed through the moon gate, and stopped in a hall that was already half collapsed.

In Qingyun Tianxia, ​​the number nine is revered, so this should be the residence of the main branch of the Bai family.

A prestigious family is a prestigious family. Even if the Bai family is not the top family, their courtyard is still the size of half a city.

The poor villagers, who only had five courtyards, had never seen such luxury before and couldn't help but sigh in amazement.

After looking around, Ji You entered a room in the side courtyard. After staring at it for a long time, he suddenly slashed his sword fiercely at the ground.

The floorboards in the room suddenly shattered, revealing a downward staircase beneath. In the dim light, a faint sound of something rising from the ground could be heard.

The Bai family does exist; this was something he had just sensed with his divine sense.

Ji You gripped the longsword in his hand and descended the stairs. As he reached the bottom, the sword in his hand suddenly loosened slightly.

In the dimly lit basement, Bai Rulong was huddled in a corner, clutching an iron sword, staring ahead with a look of terror on his face.

"Brother Ji!"

When he saw who it was, Emperor Rulong suddenly cried out in grief. His voice, full of deep emotion, made Ji You feel as if he were calling out to his own father.

Ji You walked up to him, remained silent for a while, and then reached out and took the money bag from his arms.

Bai Rulong: "?"

Seeing his strange look, Ji You suddenly realized, "Uh, I have this strange habit of doing this whenever I see you, sorry, sorry."

Upon hearing this, the Dragon Immortal Emperor's lips twitched.

Ji You tucked the money pouch into his pocket: "Enough with the chit-chat, what are you doing here?"

"I was scared, so I hid."

"Where is your family?"

Bai Rulong was silent for a moment and then shook his head: "It's gone... I don't know if my father doesn't want me anymore. He didn't even tell me he was moving."

Ji You frowned deeply: "When did you disappear?"

"I don't know. After returning from the Heavenly Academy, I was arranged to go on a blind date with a girl from Qingzhou. When I came back, I found that my family had disappeared."

Do you know where they went?

Bai Rulong pursed his dry lips: "Brother Ji, didn't you come to see me? What do you want with my father?"

Ji You turned her head and glanced at the pots and pans in the corner: "Forget it, we can't stay here any longer. Let me take you away from here first."

"Where are you going?"

"Let's go back to Tianshu Academy first."

Bai Rulong followed him out shakily, then stared at the evil creatures climbing all over the city, his eyes widening in shock: "How can there be so many evil creatures?"

Ji You continued to breathe in spiritual energy and said, "The evil seed is the shell of the dead race, and the race was the strongest race in the ancient times. It is conceivable that their reproduction rate was astonishing. Such a large number is not surprising."

Seeing the evil creature tearing apart a corpse not far away, Bai Rulong was numb: "Brother Ji, why don't we go back? It's quite safe inside..."

Ji You turned to look at him and noticed his cultivation level: "It's been a long time since we last met, hasn't it? How come you've only just reached the peak of the Lower Three Realms? Have you been busy dating every day?"

"That's not easy, Brother Ji. Even you, a monster, are only at the Profound Realm."

"Enough with the small talk, let's go. If you encounter any fleeing aristocratic families on the way, they'll give you a ride."

After hearing this, Bai Rulong glanced at Ji You and said, "My cultivation is not good enough, and I will only hold you back. You'd better not take me with you."

Ji You took out a rope from the storage gourd and tied it around his waist: "It will be more convenient with you around."

Why do I have such a bad feeling?

"Does it hurt if you cut your hand?"

"?"

Half an hour later, the evil creatures in Lin Yuan City gathered in greater and greater numbers, gradually surging in like a dark, turbulent tide, constantly howling and attacking in the ruins of the city.

Ahead of them, a figure clutching his arm was frantically speeding along, cursing and swearing.

Just as those ferocious evil creatures leaped into the air, about to press down on the figure who was spouting elder greetings, the rope around his waist was suddenly tightened.

Before he could react, he was violently pulled in the opposite direction by a terrifying force.

At the same time, a magnificent sword aura roared out along the direction the evil seed was rushing.

This was a heavy sword, yet it contained an extreme sharpness. With a whoosh, it sliced ​​through the thick horde of corpses, severing countless evil creatures in half.

Bai Rulong finally managed to stop himself and was utterly shocked by what he saw.

During his years at the Heavenly Academy, he remained steadfast in his Daoist beliefs, oblivious to the world around him, focusing solely on finding his buttocks. He was essentially invisible, detached from matters of cultivation.

Only now did he realize what he had missed.

This is called the Profound Realm?
Just then, Ji You suddenly grabbed him by the collar and leaped onto the half of the city wall that had not yet collapsed.

The horde of corpses in the city was temporarily wiped out by that sword, but the horde of corpses outside the city was still surging.

Looking down from their position, the dark, monstrous horde of creatures surged forward relentlessly, stretching for miles, their sheer density sending chills down one's spine. Wherever they went, devastation and wailing filled the air.

Especially in the face of the wind, the smell of blood was so strong that it was hard to breathe.

Seeing this, Bai Rulong's face turned deathly pale, and he subconsciously clenched his fists: "How could this happen..."

Ji You turned to look at him: "It's a man-made disaster."

"what?"

"Although it's too chaotic to see clearly because of their sheer number, you can vaguely tell from a high vantage point that they're heading due south, due north, due east, and due west. They only turn around temporarily when hunting, but they return in an orderly fashion after killing all the animals. So someone must have set up anchor points to lure these things back and forth. I suspect this zombie horde is being controlled by someone."

After listening, Bai Rulong's shoulders trembled: "I am only at the peak of the lower three realms. Please don't say any more. I dare not hear such a secret."

Ji You raised the corners of her mouth: "Do you know that I killed five elders of the Boundless Immortal Sect a while ago?"

"?"

"It's true, right here on Dan Mountain, I killed so many people from the five major immortal sects that they all wanted my dead, but look, I'm still alive and kicking."

Bai Rulong turned his head slightly: "Isn't this the time to escape? Why are you bragging like this..."

Ji You patted him on the shoulder: "I wanted to tell you that I am very strong, so I am not afraid to know some secrets. Now that I see so many people dead and the whole territory destroyed, Brother Rulong, do you have any secrets you want to tell me?"

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(End of this chapter)