Embers of Sword

Chapter 574 Twenty-Four Hours (Part 20)

Jiang Lie slammed his sword heavily into the demon tide, creating a huge crater in the vast battlefield outside Qingyang City.

This valiant old man, over a hundred years old, charged forward in armor, like a long rainbow, crashing straight into the hill where the twelve giant gates were located. The locust swarm was shattered by the sword light, and dozens or even hundreds of sword lights from the top of Qingyang City followed Jiang Lie into battle. After the Battle of Drinking Poison ended, in order to reward those who had made contributions, Jiang Lie was undoubtedly firmly in the top three among the 108 garrison commanders of Beijun.

Because every major battle, no matter how fierce.

Jiang Lie is always at the forefront.

The gates of Qingyang City, shattered by the locust swarm, suddenly opened, and the Jiang family's iron cavalry, clad in iron armor, charged forward from the formation, emerging from the flames.

The earth trembled.

This sudden and unexpected attack has now turned into a fair and square confrontation, a battle to the bone!
"Array Master! Form the array with me!"

Jiang He was stationed at the rear of Qingyang City, leading many Jiang family members, running between the array patterns on the city walls.

While fighting on the front lines is certainly important.

But the defensive formation is the key.

……

……

The moon hung high in the sky, its light cascading down and falling on Chu Xiu's clothes.

Chu Xiu calmly gazed at the distant Qingyang City.

The seemingly overwhelming locust swarm behind him lasted only a moment before it began to subside. Qingyang City fell, and iron cavalry surged forth. The dazzling, blinding sword light on the front lines drew ever closer, and a low shout reached his ears.

"boom!"

Grandpa Jiang, running against the locust swarm, showed no signs of his real age.

He charged forward with the knife in hand, pressing two fingers onto the blade and channeling his vital energy into it.

This ancient sword, which had accompanied Jiang Lie in battle for many years, was named "Crimson Prison." At this moment, the ancient sword turned crimson inch by inch, as if a soul had come to life within its blade.

The surging, powerful blade energy expanded outwards, transforming into a circular domain.

The sheer force of the energy shattered countless locust demons that were rushing towards them.

After charging forward a hundred feet.

Jiang Lie ran two fingers from the hilt to the tip of the sword, the crimson color spreading across the entire blade of the Crimson Prison Blade. He suddenly looked up, and a scarlet ancient general's image descended instantly, merging with him. This humanoid image was extremely unusual. While other cultivators' Yin spirit images pursued "massive forms," ​​this general's image, clad in red armor, was the opposite, its form extremely withered and thin, the entire image resembling a flat, withered leaf.

But this withered Dharma image exuded a murderous intent as thick as a sea of ​​blood!
Jiang Lie and Fa Xiang became one.

The Crimson Prison Ancient Blade turned completely crimson!

He stomped his foot on the ground to stop his forward momentum, then threw his long sword—

boom!
A thunderous roar reverberated throughout the entire battlefield.

The longsword transformed into a crimson rainbow, piercing through hundreds of feet, carving a straight, wide, and shattered line in the void. All the locust spirits along its path were utterly destroyed by the sword's aura—

next moment.

Chi Yu arrived in front of Chu Xiu's face, and Jiang Lie's figure disappeared from the spot in an instant. When he reappeared, he was on the side of the hilt of Chi Yu!
It is almost impossible for cultivators at the Yin Spirit Realm to accomplish the feat of traversing the void.

However, Jiang Lie, who wields the "Crimson Prison," is an extremely special exception.

He has been practicing Buddhism for many years.

He was completely stuck on the "Questioning the Heart" tribulation.

Not every cultivator is qualified to climb to the summit of Yangshen Mountain and see the scenery from there.

Those who lack sufficient intelligence or a firm enough resolve...

They all have no chance to attain the Yang Spirit.

Jiang Lie does not belong to either of these two categories.

However, he fought many battles throughout his life, killing too many people and getting entangled in too many karmic consequences.

In military cultivation, advancing to the Yang God realm is extremely difficult.

The reason why Chen Chong of Dali was able to reach the Yang God realm at such a young age was partly due to his exceptional talent and partly due to good luck—he chose the right path. Chen Chong came from a military background, yet in his youth he remained untainted by worldly affairs, avoiding conflict. This decision helped him escape the most turbid period of his life.

Jiang Lie didn't have Chen Chong's good luck.

He didn't have such strong ambitions; winning the battle of drinking poison and living to this age was enough for him.

He did not aspire to become a Yang God.

"Boom!"

Jiang Lie stretched out his hands, gripped the Crimson Prison tightly, and slashed down, the powerful blade energy transforming into a long line that could overturn heaven and earth.

Chu Xiu raised his head.

He gazed calmly at this esteemed general of the Northern Commandery.

Boom!
The blade's energy descended, exploding like a waterfall.

A thunderous sound, like a war drum, resounded throughout the heavens and earth.

This incredibly powerful blade energy slashed down towards Chu Xiu's head, creating a muffled roar in mid-air, as if an invisible giant wall had been erected between the two of them.

Jiang Lie took several steps back.

He frowned as he looked at the man sitting cross-legged in front of him, and loosened his grip slightly.

That last stab...

I wasn't holding back at all...

"Old man, you're still got it!"

Chu Xiu gave a flat compliment without any emotion, and then said woodenly, "It's a pity that this is the Demon Kingdom's great formation 'Calamity Tide'... You'll probably need to make a few more strikes to completely shatter 'Calamity Tide'."

"Chu Xiu..."

Jiang Lie took a deep breath, looked at the person in front of him, and said coldly, "Da Chu has treated you well, why are you acting like this?"

He had already noticed something was wrong.

In his memory, Chu Xiu had successfully advanced to become a Yin God several years ago, but the aura emanating from the person in front of him at this moment seemed to be only at the initial stage level.

Over the years, Chu Xiu's cultivation seems to have made little progress.

However... for the Chu family now, a beginner-level Yin God is also very important.

After the upheaval in Qingzhou, the Chu family completely lost power. Chu Xiu's existence at least helps the Chu family maintain its image as a "first-class family." After all, with a Yin God protecting the area, all the major holy lands have to give him some face.

"I will repay your kindness on the Golden Terrace and die for you, supporting the Jade Dragon."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xiu simply smiled and did not reply further.

He pointed to the ceiling.

Strands of blood were spreading across the land, gathering like a tornado.

The twelve doors roared, faintly coalescing into a vortex.

At this moment, Grandpa Jiang finally understood the source of the strange feeling in his heart... Chu Xiu's aura was indeed only at the initial stage, but he had not neglected his cultivation over the years.

He is feeding the twelve void portals at the zenith with his flesh and blood.

As flesh and blood are lost, vital energy dissipates.

Chu Xiu's cultivation level kept declining.

"This is……"

A strong sense of unease welled up in Jiang Lie's heart.

He looked up at the sky.

Those twelve doors seemed to be merging into one.

Layers of dark clouds in the sky coalesced into a scarlet, eerie vertical pupil.

This is... the "manifestation of divine power" of the Great Venerable of the Demon Kingdom!
Upon reaching the Great Venerable level, the innate talents of the demon race are activated. Some Great Venerables excel at traversing the void, while others possess incredibly powerful physical bodies. The Great Venerable of the Eclipse Swamp, however, possesses exceptionally formidable "eye techniques." During the battle of drinking poison, the Eclipse Great Venerable caused Da Chu considerable suffering.

It is said that the great sage of the Eclipse Swamp was injured by Zhao Chunyang in that great battle and has been in a long slumber ever since.

these years.

The demon lord of the Eclipse Marsh traveled far and wide, seeking the opportunity to revive the great lord.

The Eclipse Lord enjoys devouring blood.

These demon lords then searched far and wide for the sacred blood of dragons and phoenixes. Powerful cultivators who reached a certain level could also trade their blood with the Eclipse Swamp.

obviously!
Chu Xiu has already completed the transaction with the Eclipse Swamp!

He used his own blood to secure the intervention of the Eclipse God!
The Demon Kingdom and the Great Chu are separated by tens of millions of miles. To accomplish this, a single great formation is far from enough... Chu Xiu took out an ancient scroll from his sleeve. This was an important trade item in the Eclipse Great Swamp over the years, a powerful magic artifact imprinted with the power of a Great Venerable.

When the Eclipse Lord was lucid, he forged these scrolls, infusing them with demonic power and the Great Dao.

It knew that the days of slumber ahead would be long. The Eclipse Swamp needed sufficient "power," and these scrolls were the key to supporting the swamp.

Anyone can make a deal with the Eclipse Great Swamp to obtain this treasure and activate the Eclipse Great Venerable's "Manifestation" supernatural power at any time, but the price is death.

The Great Swamp of Eclipse obtained the "heart's blood" of the pactor, as well as the scattered souls after their deaths.

On the day the soul contract was finalized, the signatory took the treasure, and Daze took his life essence.

It's a big gamble.

For the demon cultivators within the demon kingdom, who are surrounded by enemies, possessing even one opportunity to manifest the power of the Eclipse Grand Venerable is enough to save their lives in most dangerous situations. Therefore, losing a single drop of their heart's blood is insignificant. Relying on this deal, the Eclipse Great Swamp has accumulated considerable resources over the years, and the day it revives as a Grand Venerable is drawing ever closer.

But no one has ever been like Chu Xiu.

To exchange for an Eclipse Scroll, simply for a more spectacular death.

"You're crazy..."

Upon seeing the Eclipse Scroll, Jiang Lie's expression turned grim.

He gritted his teeth and asked coldly, "Are you really determined to destroy this Qingyang City?"

"..."

Chu Xiu remained silent for a moment upon hearing this.

After a while.

Chu Xiu uttered two words expressionlessly: "Sorry."

The words fell to the ground.

The slender scroll he held in his palm began to burn, and an extremely powerful force seemed to gather in the void. Under the pull of the descending void, Chu Xiu's clothes tore apart inch by inch.

In the blink of an eye.

Chu Xiu's skin cracked open, becoming as fragile as paper.

His hair was on fire.

Skin, flesh, soul...

Everything caught fire the moment the Eclipse Scroll was lit.

The soul contract has taken effect.

Chu Xiu slowly raised his head and looked into the eyes of the twelve giant doors that had been combined into one.

The giant gate had already coalesced into a demonic eye.

An unparalleled pressure swept across the heavens and earth... Those slender, demonic eyes seemed to replace the great moon in the sky, becoming the only source of light in this world!
O Great Lord of Eclipse, manifest your divine power!

Jiang Lie held the Crimson Prison in his hand and looked up at those familiar narrow eyes.

some years ago.

He had once encountered the "Eclipse God".

At that time, the Eclipse Venerable was at his peak. With just a blink of an eye, he plunged the entire city into darkness and turmoil... This demon kingdom venerable's strength had clearly reached the late stage of the Yang God realm. Fortunately, Zhao Chunyang appeared in time, otherwise the entire city would have been slaughtered by the Eclipse Venerable in an instant.

Sixty years have passed.

The demonic eyes of the Eclipse Lord reappeared in this world.

Jiang Lie never expected this...

The demonic aura above the sky was much stronger than it had been back then.

This is so unreasonable.

Although it was a great deity "manifesting his divine power," it was ultimately just a demonic spell cast through a scroll!
There is only one explanation.

After so many years of slumber... the Eclipse Emperor has not only not become weaker, but has become even stronger than before!
"Boom, boom, boom."

A few breaths later, the entire Qingyang City was enveloped by the Dao Domain spread out by the Eclipse Scroll, and thus fell into a long night.

Everyone saw those narrow, cold, vertical pupils.

Followed by.

The vertical pupils suddenly converged into a thin line.

This thin line, as if transformed into a slender ray of light, slashed straight down—

An immense pressure suddenly descended.

"boom!"

Jiang Lie was the first to bear the brunt of the impact as the line of energy pierced through the sky. He raised the Crimson Prison and held it horizontally in front of him. The old man tried hard to see the scene above the sky, but the force of the slashing energy was too great. His armor shattered and exploded instantly, and he was knocked from the sky to the ground.

A long line, stretching for miles, descended from the clouds.

This is a beam of light.

It looked more like a long, thin sword beam.

The divine light of the Eclipse Scroll fell from above Qingyang City, slashing straight down.

"withdraw!"

"Get out!"

Jiang He, who was in charge of reinforcing the array patterns on the city wall, realized something was wrong the moment he saw the changing clouds in the sky.

Several years ago, he was also a witness to the actions of the Eclipse Grandmaster.

Although we don't know what happened on the distant battlefield—

But as soon as the Eclipse Grand Venerable's demonic aura appeared, he immediately sensed the danger.

Jiang He immediately shouted to disperse the array masters on the city wall, and at the same time sent a message to order all cultivators to lead the city's residents to flee to both ends of Qingyang City.

next moment.

A glint of light appeared in his eyes, and he slashed down!

Because all the main cultivators of the Jiang family went south, the protective array of this majestic ancient city lacked the support of Yuan power. At this moment, under the dimensional attack of the Yang God Realm Manifestation Divine Power, it was as thin as an eggshell and was completely shattered after only a moment of resistance.

boom! ! !
Countless plumes of smoke and dust billowed, the city walls and buildings of Qingyang crumbled, streets and alleys rose from the ground, and towering waves of stone surged hundreds of feet high.

In an instant, all the cultivators on the city walls seemed to be caught in a tsunami.

……

……

Yin Shi.

The world was dark, and dawn had not yet broken. Tonight, Qingzhou was exceptionally dark, without a single ray of light.

Thick, dark clouds obscured the sky.

Jiang Qihu rode on horseback, his body bent low, moving forward at top speed.

Because the Great Chu Imperial City and Qingzhou are too far apart, the teleportation array cannot reach them precisely. It can only lock onto an anchor point from a distance. Therefore, Jiang Qihu had to travel a distance. He affixed a special talisman made by the Imperial City Bureau to his spirited horse. In less than half an hour, he saw the outline of Qingyang City.

He gripped the Qingzhou Token tightly.

The signal rang only once throughout the entire process.

After leaving the imperial city.

The magistrate of Qingzhou never made a sound again.

Jiang Qihu sent out a message, but there was no reply... There is only one possibility in this situation: the messenger in charge of Qingzhou has met with misfortune.

The man lying prone on the horse's back was praying silently.

"Da da da!"

The galloping horse suddenly came to a stop.

Jiang Qihu gripped the reins tightly and burst out of a dense forest. Before him lay a mountain ridge and cliff, offering a wide view.

Although it was dark, he could still make out the outline of Qingyang City.

"..."

The tall man sitting on horseback was pale and his lips were trembling.

He stared silently at the scene before him, his heart aching.

My hometown, my native land, my homeland... have all vanished.

Where is Qingyang City now?

The entire ancient city was cut in two, and all that could be seen was desolate ruins.

(End of this chapter)