Forge your destiny into a sword, slash your soul and ascend to immortality

Chapter 240 Exorcising the Evil Loquat is Difficult

The dense, endless strands of silk binding the Mountain Lord's body connect the entire Mountain and River Map Universe, permeating its many realms.

Jing Qian randomly selected a silk thread and, using his spatial abilities, embarked on a massive void traversal to pursue it.

This journey took them past the main battlefield of the clash between the two great universes and straight into the heart of the Mountain and River Map Universe.

When he reappeared, he was in a mountain area under the banner of [Beichen Tian].

He hovered atop a solitary snow-capped peak in the northernmost part of the realm, and amidst the icy landscape, he glimpsed a "Star-Picking" cultivator who had secluded himself within the snow-covered peak below.

This is also a puppet of the "Puppet Show"!

Jing Qian's [Eternal Eye of Moment] clearly saw a strange thread piercing into his brain from the Yuzhen acupoint at the back of his neck, and then drilling into his sea of ​​consciousness between his eyebrows.

Immediately, he waved his hand and unleashed a [Heaven-Piercing Sword Light], cleaving the towering, solitary peak in two with a single strike.

As his first randomly selected test subject, this [Star-Picking] cultivator was easily beheaded by a sword light while in seclusion, dying a violent death.

Jing Qian also appeared beside his corpse, carefully examining the characteristics of the puppet.

But then it was seen that the [tethering thread] connected the puppet, bringing its core soul completely under its control.

Immediately afterwards, this [Star-Picking] cultivator was used as an interface to extract primordial energy, and he was being used to steal primordial energy from the realm for a long time.

Each puppet is an interface through which the [Thread of Life Universe] continuously devours the [Mountain and River Map Universe].

Even though the [Mountain and River Map Universe] has a profound foundation and a high efficiency in producing vital energy.

However, as the number of puppets increased, the "Landscape Painting" seemed to be swarmed by a dense mass of bloodsucking worms.

If left untreated, it will eventually be completely devoured by these bloodsucking worms.

However, with the protection of the core of the realm, the Mountain Lord, this extremely evil act not only went unchecked but continued to progress.

When Jing Qian severed the first thread, he broke the steady, progressive path of devouring that the "Thread-Pulling Play" had always followed.

However, when he looked up, the threads that filled the [Mountain and River Map Universe] were as deep and vast as the ocean, and could not be handled by him alone.

If he truly wanted to erase all the puppets planted by the "Puppet Show," he would need a corresponding army!

Fortunately, thanks to Ghost Hair's intervention, all the tangled threads have been stained blood red by the power of the Nursery, making them easier to identify.

Within Jing Qian's mind, the power of [Worldly Understanding] combined with that of [Heavenly Library] was fully unleashed, frantically deducing the next steps of the plan.

Gradually, he seemed to have grasped something, and then kicked the puppet's corpse in front of him away.

But then they saw that the corpse seemed to have turned into a coil of thread, and during its flight, the "thread" taut around its neck wrapped around its body again and again.

Then, Jing Qian opened a spatial wormhole that led directly to the [Yanfu Nursery].

As the corpse rolled around, it followed the connecting silk threads and tumbled into the [Yanfu Nursery].

After all, his superior, [Mountain King], is currently being suppressed in [Nursery].

Following behind the corpses, Jingqian returned to the [Yanfu Nursery] and arrived at the [Shanjun]'s grave.

But then the corpse came across the void and perfectly collected the [thread] attached to it, like a fishing line.

Then, the corpse plunged headfirst into the grave of the Mountain Lord and remained motionless.

Standing to the side, [Ghost Hair] had a strange expression, seemingly quite surprised by the result.

Jing Qian already had a plan in mind. He sent a magical message to [Ghost Hair], revealing his deduced solution, and then spoke:
“Master, my plan is highly feasible if it is implemented. It all depends on whether you can do it to the extent I have described it.”

"If we can really succeed, the two of us working together might be able to wipe out all the [Puppet Show] in one fell swoop!"

[Ghost Hair] dared not draw any conclusions rashly. After all, a proposal without money would require him to invest a huge amount of resources, no less than emptying his [Yanfu Nursery].

Of course, he needs to carefully weigh the pros and cons and consider them thoroughly.

Ghost Hair walked up to the corpse, reached out with his flower hoe, pulled it down to the side, and then used the soil from the nursery to cover it up, creating a new grave.

Immediately afterwards, he used the magical power of the [Nursery] to completely digest the puppet.

Even that single strand of "tethering thread" couldn't escape the erosion of his magic.

[Ghost Hair] licked his upper lip, seemingly savoring the unique fertilizer.

Then he spoke again:
"If it really is as you plan, the two of us are probably going to get into serious trouble with the [Puppet Show]."

"Someone will surely come to face those difficulties of the Eight Difficulties of Pulling Silk!"

"Those who can be selected from the puppets by the great god of [Silk], taken under his command, and given titles and names are all extraordinary."

"The Eight Tribulations of Pulling Silk are filled with old demons and monsters of the former ranks, who are not ordinary people who can defeat them."

"Have you really thought this through? Are you really going to offend these thugs like this?"

Jing Qian realized his own lack of knowledge from Gui Mao's words and immediately interjected:
"Master, what do you mean by the 'former' ranks you speak of?"

"This disciple is ignorant and has never heard of it before."

Then [Ghost Hair] spoke:
“Your cultivation level is too low. Although you have accomplished many great things within the realm, you have not actually left the realm to experience the void.”

"My [Daoyuan Divine Shuttle Universe] has gone through many tribulations, and its strength has fallen to the bottom. Within the realm, the number of [Time Sequence] beings is already at its limit."

"Since the last tribulation, it has become a luxury for the [Daoyuan Divine Shuttle Universe] to condense the [Time Graveyard], and there is no soil for the birth of the [Old Days]. It is normal that you are unaware of this."

"This 'old day' does not refer to a state of spiritual practice, but rather a unique state of time."

“There are cultivators of the [Time Sequence] from previous reincarnations who have not transcended, or who have voluntarily given up the competition, leaving it for future generations to rise again.”

“These cultivators are unwilling to die. If they can find a place to hide in the Time Tomb, they can avoid the pursuit of the Clock of Time and find a moment of peace.”

"However, this state of 'time sequence' cannot escape the 'graveyard of time'; it is nothing more than withered bones in a tomb."

"But if such a cultivator finds a sliver of opportunity amidst the impossible, either severing or evading the influence of the [Clock of Time], he can regain his freedom!"

"At that time, they will be able to leave the [Tomb of Time] and walk in the void, just like the contemporary [Chronology]."

“This type of cultivator can be called the [Old Ones].

"In terms of realm, those people [in the past] have not yet transcended it and still belong to the category of the first rank."

"However, compared to the ordinary [Time Sequence], the cultivation accumulation of the [Ancient Times] is undoubtedly much deeper, and naturally, the strength is also greater!"

"Moreover, these [Old] cultivators are not pursued by the [Clock of Time], and they are completely unrestricted in traversing the void."

"And the void is so vast that no one knows exactly how many [Time Tombs] there are."

"However, it is universally acknowledged that top-tier Devourers like the Nine Dragon Cauldron Universe contain Time Graves."

"I do not know if such a treasure trove exists in the 【Puppet Show Universe】."

"However, both of these [Universes] have the ability to reliably produce [Ancient Ones], that's for sure."

"The Eight Tribulations of the Threads are famous in the void. If a weaker universe were to emerge, it would probably be able to single-handedly destroy it."

"Right now, my [Daoyuan Divine Shuttle Universe] and the [Shanhe Tu Universe] are locked in a fierce battle."

"If we provoke an [Ancient One], it will likely cause unexpected trouble!"

"Do you still intend to persist?"

Jing Qian, unmoved by Gui Mao's words, replied:

“Master, if you ask for my opinion, then I must see it through to the end; there is no room for compromise.”

"Given the domineering and insidious nature of the [Puppet Universe], they will probably never give up their karmic ties with us."

"Put yourself in their shoes. We are both from the [Devouring Universe]. The other [Mountain and River Map Universe] only sent a few cultivators into our realm to wreak havoc. We, on the other hand, are launching a full-scale attack to crush them in one fell swoop."

"We've snatched the meat from the 'Puppet Show' bowl, how could they possibly give it up?"

“There will inevitably be a war between our two realms. Given my temperament, I will definitely try to seize the initiative.”

"Master, what are your thoughts? You're not going to back down, are you?"

But then [Ghost Hair] laughed and said:
"If you've thought it through, then it's fine."

"With the protection of the [Yanfu Nursery], let alone the attack of the [Old Days], even if the [Thread-Pulling God] himself came, he might not be able to do anything to me."

"I'm afraid you'll lack ambition, give up halfway, and then back down and run away."

"If we follow your plan, I'm going to have to pay a hefty price!"

"If you drop the ball halfway through, I'll have to pay for everything, even my underwear."

Upon hearing this, Jing Qian patted his chest and said:

"Master, please rest assured!"

"I've calculated everything; I can't make sure you lose money!"

[Ghost Hair] gritted his teeth and said:

"Let's get started!"

The wondrous nature of this "Puppet Show" is quite useful for the cultivation of "Ghost Hair".

If he can consume enough [Tethering Silk], his [Exorcism] technique will be greatly enhanced!
This is also the core reason why he ultimately decided to try the Jingqian plan.

Once they decided to do it, the two highly skilled exorcising masters naturally didn't hesitate and began their operations.

The two worked together seamlessly, each with their own tasks, and in no time, they stirred up quite a storm in the [Yanfu Nursery]!

[Ghost Hair] opened the passage between [Yambhava Nursery] and the mortal world, summoning back all six armies of tree spirits that were rampaging in the [Mountain and River Map Universe], leaving not a single one behind.

With this vital force missing from the main battlefield, the speed at which the [Daoyuan Divine Shuttle Universe] devours the [Shanhe Tu Universe] will undoubtedly be greatly reduced.

However, for other major powers, such changes are nothing!
Whether it was the Lingguan army, the demon forces, or the Eastern Heaven Alliance, they all wished that the powerful Yanfu tree spirit brigade would withdraw from the competition.

In this way, the resources allocated to each person will increase significantly.

After [Ghost Hair] recalled all the tree spirits, he selected the best from the best of the best and finally formed a total of 27,658,957 squads.

This number corresponds exactly to the 27658957 tendrils that are attached to the mountain spirit.

Needless to say, the goal of every team is to create a [Puppet Show]!
[Ghost Hair] This is all-out attack, aiming to wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop!
However, these puppets are scattered across various realms of the [Mountain and River Map Universe], with a very wide distribution.

Even though these tree spirits are numerous and powerful, it is almost an impossible task for them to cross the battlefield, penetrate deep into the heart of the [Mountain and River Map Universe], and then follow the guidance of the [Threads] to find the location of the puppets!
If it were up to [Ghost Hair] to deal with these puppets on his own, he would never be so aggressive. He would only take a steady and methodical approach, gradually eroding the [Mountain and River Map Universe] before slowly eliminating the puppets.

But this time, he wasn't fighting alone!
With Jing Qian's cooperation, the two powerful exorcists could possibly create a miracle!
Jing Qian was also preparing his own proposal.

He summoned the avatar of the God of the Underworld to his side and began to fully activate his own secret technique, the Yama-fu.

One after another, the [Destiny Ghosts] each received a few [Ghost Seals] and picked up a few [Life Essence] before manifesting.

Each of the manifested "Destiny Ghosts" borrowed some of the divine power of Jing Qian's "Sumeru" destiny.

This is the [Sumeru Escape Demon] that Jing Qian specially forged for this great battle.

Their rank is not high; they are all at the eighth-order [Dragon Elephant] level.

Yet it is enough to drive the power of [Sumeru], and with the help of the dimensional power of [Sumeru], to traverse the void and act as a courier.

Each time a [Sumeru Escape Ghost] is born, it will automatically join a tree spirit squad.

This is the true combined power of two exorcism masters!

Both sides combined their summoned creatures. In the assembled team, the tree spirits of [Ghost Hair] were responsible for the frontal assault.

Jing Qian's [Xumi Escape Ghost] is only responsible for arranging the itinerary.

Both are indispensable and important!
However, Jing Qian's cultivation period was too short, and exorcism was not his main focus. Relatively speaking, the number of ghost seals he accumulated was far from enough.

Even though he devoured a wave of demonic flesh and blood in the [Cube Universe], the [Ghost Script] he accumulated was enough to support a million [Sumeru Escape Ghosts].

However, compared to the vast army of tree spirits called "Ghost Hair" in front of them, it was far from enough.

Jing Qian could only do this much on his own; it was completely insufficient to meet the demands.

He just opened his mouth and said:
"Master, this is the most I can do. From now on, it's up to you."

"hey-hey!"

This insatiable old Jingqian, who always took advantage of others and never left empty-handed, even showed a hint of shyness.

But then [Ghost Hair] waved his hand and said:

"No need for words. Now that I've made up my mind, I won't back down."

"I'll cover this expense!"

"However, all the subsequent spoils from the [Puppet Show] will be mine!"

"Of course, of course! I myself am powerless to suppress so many puppets, it is all thanks to your [Yanfu Nursery], Master."

[Ghost Hair] nodded and said:
"Let's begin!"

Before he finished speaking, the [God of the Underworld] unleashed a powerful burst of magic, manifesting a unique furnace composed of a vast amount of [Ghost Script].

Judging from its form alone, it is virtually identical to Jing Qian's "Doushuai Furnace".

Then, the God of the Underworld unleashed his magic power again, using a core secret technique of the Exorcism lineage recorded in the "Yanfu Cave Underworld Reincarnation Dao Book," called the "Ghost Fighting Ghost Technique."

This secret technique is a family heirloom of the [Yanfu] clan, a technique for relying on one's parents for sustenance.

When later disciples use it, it can form a large furnace.

Senior masters can send the demons they have subdued into their disciples' furnaces to be burned.

In this way, the inheritance and transfer of ghost resources can be realized.

Right now, even if Jing Qian were to accumulate enough [Sumeru Escape Ghosts] on his own for hundreds or thousands of years, he probably still wouldn't be able to gather a sufficient number.

His original intention was to extort some "Life Ghost" resources from "Ghost Hair" to replenish his own "Life Ghost" reserves!
It's no wonder Jing Qian spoke so politely to "Gui Mao," nor is it no wonder he was somewhat shy.

No wonder he doesn't even want the puppets anymore; he's clearly trying to leech off his parents!

[Ghost Hair] has cultivated for tens of thousands of years to accumulate this precious demonic creature in the nursery.

Right now, in order to advance further, we have to make a big sacrifice of some things!
But because of this, Jing Qian took off from where he was!

With a wave of his hand, Ghost Hair caused all the tree spirits and grass demons that had not been selected for the assault team to line up and jump into Jing Qian's furnace.

They sacrificed all their flesh, blood, and magical power, which were all transformed into Jing Qian's [Ghost Script] and [Life Essence].

Although the systems of [Gui Mao] and Jing Qian are quite different, they are ultimately from the same source.

Jing Qian is incredibly efficient at devouring and transforming [Ghost Hair] ghosts!

It was almost a one-for-one trade!
For every tree spirit that Jing Qian refines, a corresponding [Sumeru Escape Ghost] will be created.

This is undoubtedly a rapid improvement in Jing Qian's cultivation in the [Exorcism] lineage, even more exaggerated than forcing growth!

You should know that Jingqian is short of more than 20 million [Life Ghosts]!
This is more than ten times more than the [Ghost Script] he originally accumulated on his own!
If any other person were in this situation, they simply couldn't withstand Jing Qian's leeching off of his parents.

Fortunately, it was the top-tier artist [Ghost Hair], who had an incredibly rich collection of summoned creatures, that was able to provide Jing Qian with what he needed.

Jing Qian is really going all out, treating [the enemy] like a Japanese person and devouring him to death!

The swarming tree spirits, undeterred by their fate, vanished into the furnace and were absorbed by him.

The production rate of [Sumeru Escape Demon] has skyrocketed, rapidly filling the gaps in various teams.

For Jing Qian, this was far more worthwhile than painstakingly and riskily digesting the "Puppet Show".

For a moment, he was completely captivated.

He felt as if he had transformed into a bottomless abyss, greedily devouring the "treasure trove" accumulated by the Ghost Hair Ancestor over tens of thousands of years.

Each tree spirit thrown into the furnace of the "Ghost Fighting Ghost" secret technique was like firewood thrown into lava.

It will be instantly incinerated and refined, transformed into the purest [Ghost Script] origin and [Life Essence] essence, and then surgingly injected into the core of the [Underworld God] incarnation.

Then he would catalyze the creation of one ghost after another.

Cool! So cool!
Jing Qian's original consciousness shared the feelings of the [God of the Underworld], which was an extreme pleasure of rapid growth that was almost soul-shaking.

Like a sponge that has been dry for millions of years, suddenly thrown into a boundless ocean of energy, every "cell" is cheering and jumping for joy, frantically absorbing and expanding!

His progress in cultivating the "Yanfu Cave Reincarnation Dao Book" is advancing at an unprecedented and terrifying speed.

The boundless [Ghost Seal] that originally required painstaking effort, massive resources, and a long period of time to condense was now being "manufactured" in an endless stream, like products on an assembly line.

His understanding of the "exorcism" lineage and his insight into the essence of "destiny ghosts" were deepened and elevated at an unprecedented speed under this extremely high-intensity "cramming" indoctrination.

Many previously obscure and difficult-to-understand secret techniques of the [Yambhava] have suddenly become clear under the impact of the massive energy!
This is pure and boundless power!

Jing Qian could even clearly feel that the part of his [Nine Desolate Immortal Qi] belonging to [Yanfu] was undergoing a qualitative change, and the quality of his magical power was rapidly improving.

"Twenty-three million...twenty-four million...twenty-five million..."

Jing Qian's [Worldly Understanding] core coldly counted the number of tree spirits being refined, and the corresponding [Sumeru Escape Ghosts] born.

This enormous number brings an indescribable sense of control and power.

When the last tree spirit responsible for filling the vacancy was thrown into the furnace, it transformed into the last batch of [Sumeru Escape Ghosts] and joined the ranks.

Within the entire [Yanfu Nursery], a terrifying legion composed of 27,658,957 squads, exuding a chilling aura and boundless vitality, has finally taken shape!

Each squad was like a poisoned needle poised to strike, precisely connecting with a thread emanating from the Mountain Lord, and then aiming at a puppet deep within the Mountain and River Universe!
Jing Qian, who had been living off his parents to the fullest, finally stopped his "ghost-fighting secret technique."

The real battle hasn't even started yet, but he's already full!
He just opened his mouth and said:
"Master, I'm full..."

"No, I'm ready!"

【Ghost Hair】 also stopped its unlimited supply of feed and reluctantly drove away the remaining tree spirits.

Then, he said:
"Since that's your opinion, let's begin!"

[Ghost Hair] The money was well spent, and even his tone became a bit harsher.

Jing Qian then took a deep breath, activated his secret technique, and issued commands to the more than 27 million [Sumeru Escape Ghosts].

Suddenly, countless void wormholes, as numerous as stars, erupted completely within the [Sumeru Nursery].

This is a unique phenomenon produced when the [Sumeru Escape Ghost] fully unleashes its divine power.

This resulted in a massive consumption of mana, all of which was paid for by the [Ghost Hair] Ancestor.

The hunting squad, which was prepared for this, took off and disappeared into the [nursery].

The once crowded Yanfu Nursery was completely emptied in the next second.

The scene was spectacular; even Ghost Hair and Jing Qian were seeing such a miracle for the first time.

This is a rare sight in the entire history of the [Yanfu Dao], with the combined efforts of [exorcism] masters.

The ferocity of the two top-tier [Yanfuzi] is simply beyond imagination!
After the troops have dispersed, it will be time to reap the rewards.

In over 20 million battlefields, there are naturally those lucky ones who manage to cut down the enemy and eliminate them instantly.

Once the [Sumeru Puppet] is successfully defeated, the team's mission is considered complete.

They would immediately gather the puppet's remains, reel in the "threads," and return with all their might.

Whenever a squad returns successfully, the first thing to do is to bury the puppets and [threads] in the graves prepared in advance by [ghost hair] as soon as possible.

The team then disbanded on the spot, and the tree spirits went to rest.

The [God of the Underworld] will then completely dismantle the [Sumeru Escape Ghost], treating it as magical power and absorbing it into his own body.

Meanwhile, [Ghost Hair] was not idle either, and began to fully digest the newly acquired [Puppet Show].

The in-depth planning of the [Puppet Show Universe] over the past tens of thousands of years within the entire [Mountain and River Map Universe] is beginning to be rapidly dismantled by two audacious [Yanfuzi].

Even though the [Puppet Show Universe] is powerful and has many prey, the abundant vital energy they draw from the [Mountain and River Map Universe] every day is still an extremely important resource!
The sudden loss will naturally trigger a violent backlash from the [Puppet Show Universe].

As long as the cultivators in the [Puppet Show] are not all dead, there will inevitably be some reaction.

The two [Yanfuzi] were fully aware of this, but they paid no attention to it, as they were both immersed in the growth of their own cultivation.

……

Although the "Pulling Silk Play Universe" is a very famous name, the "universe" realm it has invaded spans the void and is almost everywhere.

In reality, no one has ever truly set foot in that "universe" and successfully exited alive.

This is undoubtedly an extremely dangerous place!
No one knows the exact rank of the "Thread-Pulling God".

His power is evident from the fact that he can create eight [Ancient] puppets.

Many people who know the inside story speculate that this "thread-pulling" master may be a "transcendent" who has truly survived tribulations!
For an extremely powerful entity like [Tethered Silk], the changes in the [Mountain and River Map Universe] are not even worth his attention.

Therefore, he never paid attention to or cared about the loss of a huge number of puppets.

However, the eight former members under the banner of [Puzzle] are responsible for this.

The one who orchestrated the invasion of the "Mountains and Rivers Universe" was the "Loquat Difficulty" among the "Eight Difficulties of Pulling Silk".

He has no choice but to take on the corresponding responsibility.

When Jing Qian and his companion began their large-scale massacre of the Puppet Masters, the Loquat Difficulty immediately sensed it.

This "Old Days" statue didn't say much to anyone; it simply picked up a large wooden fork and set off on its own.

The large wooden fork in his hand was covered with lush branches and leaves, and loquat fruits were growing on it, as if it had really been cut from a loquat tree.

However, if a highly skilled cultivator were to observe carefully, they would discover that the loquat tree in [Pipa Nan]'s hand was continuously condensing a powerful [Immortal Qi].

This [Loquat Difficulty] slowly and steadily disappeared into the [Mountain and River Map Universe].

He was highly skilled and daring, even though he was facing a massive army from two great universes.

But he remained undeterred and continued to charge forward alone.

【枇杷难】's figure was not conspicuous in the void, and even looked somewhat "simple".

He was like an old farmer carrying branches from his own fruit tree, walking slowly among the broken stardust.

However, wherever he went, the chaotic void turbulence subsided automatically, and the shattered spatial rifts quietly healed, as if the entire universe held its breath in front of this old farmer, daring not to act rashly.

In the old days, walking around, one naturally exuded overwhelming power!

(End of this chapter)