The Terror of the Heavens Begins with Gu

Chapter 136 The Feast of the Evil and Why Don't You Eat?
Li Xiangwen was so startled that his breath caught in his throat, and he instinctively slammed the wardrobe door shut.

It was too late. A pale, swollen hand reached in through the gap in the wardrobe.

The closed wardrobe door got caught in this hand.

A lot of flesh fell off the hand that was trapped, but the hand was still reaching inward.

Xuan Gui Dao Ren was greatly alarmed and grabbed a clothes hanger haphazardly, smashing it against that arm.

This did not stop the hand; instead, it stimulated the hand to suddenly exert force forward and grab Li Xiangwen.

A strong stench of decay hit him, and in despair, Li Xiangwen thought he was doomed this time.

To his surprise, the moment the hand grabbed him, he recoiled as if he had been electrocuted.

Li Xiangwen, who had survived the ordeal, began to breathe heavily.

Xuan Gui Daoist, whose heart was pounding, also let out rapid breathing.

No one was in the mood to speak.

After a while, Li Xiangwen finally pulled out one of the talismans that was heating up from his pocket.

This was a gift from that mysterious being, said to provide protection when he encounters strange events or is subjected to evil magic.

Moreover, as long as this talisman is activated, that being can sense it.

After he was trapped in this strange place, the talisman started to heat up, and the heat was strongest when that hand touched him just now.

Even "divination by spirits" didn't work; I wonder if that person sensed the change in the talisman...

Li Xiangwen was extremely anxious.

This place is quite far from that mysterious being; that being might not be able to sense it.

Even if he sensed it, would that person come to save him from Changshan, hundreds of miles away?
More importantly, even if they come, can they rescue him from this eerie place?
This place is no ordinary place...

Xuan Gui Daoist pushed open the wardrobe again.

A dim, yellow light shone into the wardrobe through the gaps in its fabric.

Xuan Gui glanced outside warily, and finding nothing there, he breathed a sigh of relief: "We're safe for now..."

He carefully pushed open the wardrobe door and crawled out.

After looking around and confirming that it was safe, he turned back to Li Xiangwen, whom he had chosen, and whispered, "I didn't expect that you would have the means to repel that ghost in this kind of environment. It's truly admirable."

"Stop talking nonsense." Li Xiangwen grabbed the talisman in his hand and said irritably, "Finding a way out is the most important thing. I must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to be trapped in this godforsaken place because of you."

Xuan Gui Daoist sighed: "I never expected that the book I dug up would be so strange, otherwise I would never have taken it down the mountain."

After reaching a consensus, they selected an auspicious day to open the coffin and opened the tomb of the former sect leader.

They were lucky; they didn't need to continue opening the coffin downwards, and they found the second volume of the magic scroll just by opening this tomb.

At least they no longer had to offend the patriarch, which made everyone in Changshan very happy.

The book was found, but it was sealed with a talisman and exuded a sinister aura, which of course did not escape the eyes of the Changshan people.

Changshan, adhering to the principle of avoiding trouble, did not open the seal that was clearly set up by the former sect leader.

This book looked extraordinary, so the people of Changshan did not rush to open the seal. Instead, they used the Changshan Dharma Seal to reinforce the seal, intending to let Li Xiangwen take a look in person before making a decision.

Who knew that even though the people of Changshan were cautious enough, they still couldn't prevent the unexpected from happening.

Xuan Gui Daoist took the book down the mountain, but before he could show it to Li Xiangwen, the seal on the book was eroded by the Yin energy that erupted from the book and disappeared without a trace, releasing the terrifying thing inside.

Fortunately, the two were quick-witted and ran away when they sensed something was wrong, thus avoiding direct death in the anomaly.

But now the surrounding environment has changed drastically, and the two are trapped in this strange place, not knowing if they can survive.

To make matters worse, an anomaly occurred here, which is very close to Changshan, and Changshan must have been affected as well.

But Changshan did not respond.

Or rather, it didn't create a reaction that Xuan Gui Dao Ren could detect.

This greatly worried Daoist Xuan Gui.

The only thing that made Xuan Gui feel fortunate was that he and Li Xiangwen were at a resort at the foot of Changshan Mountain.

It's not peak tourist season now, and the resort has no tourists; otherwise, the consequences would certainly be much more serious.

Li Xiangwen said helplessly, "No matter how I chant the incantation, there is no reaction at all. I'm at my wit's end."

The experienced Taoist Xuan Gui said, "The place is filled with yin energy, creating a special barrier that completely isolates us from the outside world. We'll have to find a way to leave on our own."

"How could a book cause such a huge change? What exactly did your former sect leader seal in this book?" Li Xiangwen tiptoed toward the door.

Xuan Gui Daoist sighed: "I felt something was wrong when this book was taken out. Not only was the book itself eerie, but the material was also strange. That material... well, it's not simple."

He followed Li Xiangwen toward the door, his voice becoming even lower: "My senior brother has been gone for many years. We all thought that the things he took into his coffin should have been erased. Who knew there was such a powerful thing?"

"I don't know where this thing came from; only my senior brother knows."

"I find it strange too. How could someone like my senior brother, who is almost always right in his calculations, leave behind such a huge disaster?"

"That's not right either. My senior brother isn't perfect, otherwise he wouldn't have... he wouldn't have... Sigh, the important thing now is how to escape from here. The longer we stay here, the more dangerous it will be for us."

Li Xiangwen's heart grew heavier and heavier: "Hearing you say that, isn't this thing extremely terrifying, so much so that even your senior brother can't kill it?"

Xuan Gui Daoist said with a look of fear, "It must be terrifying, otherwise it would be impossible for it to have survived for so long under my senior brother's suppression."

"Putting that aside, look at the changes right now. Could an ordinary ghost cause such a wide-ranging impact?"

Li Xiangwen, trapped in the eerie environment, was terrified, and Xuan Gui Daoist, who believed Li Xiangwen to be a master, was even more desperate.

This time, Li Xiangwen didn't bring any ghosts with him, only some magical artifacts. It's normal that he was suddenly trapped without much preparation.

This did not affect Li Xiangwen's high status in the hearts of Xuan Gui Daoist.

Previously, when Xuan Gui Daoist saw Li Xiangwen perform a spell, he noticed that the puppet he took out was filled with an evil aura.

Even though Xuan Gui Daoist's cultivation was not very high, he still sensed the evil emanating from the puppet.

This fully proves Li Xiangwen's extraordinary status.

What ordinary person would use such an evil thing to cast a spell?
The ritual performed by Li Xiangwen resembled "divination by spirits," yet it was ambiguous. In Xuan Gui Dao Ren's view, this was not a problem.

Each faction has its own characteristics, which is normal.

If Li Xiangwen hadn't intervened and repelled the ghost, the two of them would be dead by now.

If this isn't a master, then what is?

But even someone as powerful as Li Xiangwen couldn't leave this hellish place. Doesn't that just prove how terrifying something that has broken free from the seal is?
Li Xiangwen walked to the door and pressed his ear against it to listen for a while.

"I wonder if things will have changed by dawn. If they have, we might still have a chance to survive; otherwise..."

"Alas, I have done countless good deeds in my life. If I were to die here, it would truly be a case of God having no eyes."

The old Taoist priest Xuan Gui didn't know what to say.

The sound of footsteps echoed outside again, startling the two of them so much that they dared not even breathe.

This time it wasn't just one footstep, but a multitude of footsteps coming together, like a group of ghosts walking outside.

After the footsteps passed in front of the door, Li Xiangwen, who was clutching the talisman, carefully opened the door.

A wave of cold, damp air hit him, making Li Xiangwen shiver uncontrollably.

There were rows of foul-smelling water stains in front of the door.

Li Xiangwen peeked out and followed the water stains in the direction from which the footsteps came.

In the dim light, he saw several eerie ghosts swaying as they walked down the corridor.

The ghosts were carrying a simple, open sedan chair, and on the sedan chair seemed to be a Taoist priest sitting upright.

Upon witnessing this scene, Li Xiangwen heard Xuan Gui Daoist's suppressed exclamation: "Ming Jing..."

Was the Taoist priest from Changshan captured by the ghost?
Li Xiangwen wanted to calm Xuan Gui Dao Ren down, but he turned his head away without saying a word.

At some point, ghostly figures appeared at the other end of the corridor.

Of the two ghosts standing in front, the one on the left had skin so white it was almost bloodless, and a strange smile on its face.

On the right, the skin was rotten and swollen, and the flesh on the entire face drooped downwards like half-melted wax.

Behind the two ghostly figures was a simple sedan chair, as if they were there to pick someone up.

An indescribable stench filled the air.

Just as Li Xiangwen realized what was happening and was about to close the door, he saw Xuan Gui Daoist forcefully push the door open and walk out of the room.

As if bewitched, Daoist Xuan Gui walked straight toward the ghosts.

Li Xiangwen could see the struggle in Xuan Gui Dao Ren's eyes, but Xuan Gui Dao Ren could not control his physical body and could not stop himself.

Feeling the heat emanating from the talisman in his hand, Li Xiangwen knew that the reason he hadn't been bewitched must be because of the talisman's effect.

So what should he do now?
Go save Xuan Gui Daoist?

Or should I take the opportunity to run away alone?

Is it possible to escape if I run from here?
In a short time, Li Xiangwen made a decision.

He stiffly followed the movements of the Taoist Xuan Gui and walked towards the ghosts. Only when he reached them did Li Xiangwen notice that there was another sedan chair behind the first one.

These ghosts were actually there to "receive" the two of them...

Li Xiangwen was glad he hadn't run away, otherwise he certainly wouldn't have escaped these ghosts that were deliberately looking for him.

That talisman couldn't protect him for long.

He certainly wouldn't be able to escape before the spell wore off, because he didn't even know how to get out.

The ghost lowered the sedan chair.

Xuan Gui Daoist got into the sedan chair in front, and Li Xiangwen got into the sedan chair in the back.

The ghost lifted the sedan chair, and with a creaking sound, it slowly moved forward.

Sitting in the sedan chair, Li Xiangwen, trembling with fear, noticed that the talisman in his hand was getting hotter and hotter, as if it would catch fire at any moment.

In desperation, he secretly put the talisman in his mouth and licked it to cool it down.

The ghosts carrying the two people passed through the corridor and arrived at a sizable pond. They slowly walked into the muddy pond.

Unsure if he would drown, Li Xiangwen hesitated for a moment before realizing that his body was already submerged in the water.

His gaze shifted, and he found himself in a gloomy hall with flickering candlelight.

Rows of desks were placed on both sides of the lobby.

Several Taoist priests, their faces ashen, sat on one side of a low table. Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw more people being brought in, their faces showing signs of struggle.

Li Xiangwen, who was behind Xuan Gui Daoist, wanted to see what was sitting at the head of the hall, but as soon as he raised his head, he saw a shadow and felt a great sense of crisis.

wrong.

It wasn't a sense of crisis rising within him, but rather a warning conveyed by the talisman he held in his hand.

Terrified, Li Xiangwen quickly lowered his head, no longer daring to look at what was on it.

A hoarse, indistinct voice rang out in the hall: "Very well, very well, another one... Wu Qiyuan has suppressed me for so many years, and today he has sent so much blood offering. It is truly an eye for an eye. Please take your seats."

The ghosts that were parked outside the main hall carried the old Taoist Xuan Gui inside.

After the ghost put down the sedan chair, the old Taoist Xuan Gui stiffly walked into a seat and knelt down in front of the table, just like the Taoist next to him.

The Taoist priest beside them couldn't speak either, so the two could only communicate frantically with their eyes.

Seemingly noticing Li Xiangwen, the hoarse, indistinct voice let out a soft "Eh": "I didn't expect there would be such a person in this era. Since you are one of us, you are also qualified to take a seat."

Several ghostly figures carried a regretful Li Xiangwen into the main hall.

After the ghost put down the sedan chair, Li Xiangwen, who was carrying a bag of magical artifacts, walked to a small table and knelt down.

Some fruits and snacks were placed on the small table.

But after the talisman in his hand became scalding hot once again, the fruits and food in Li Xiangwen's eyes turned into all sorts of worms and hairy, rotting flesh.

He glanced at the small tables on either side of him out of the corner of his eye and noticed that they all had the same items on them.

Looking cautiously ahead, Li Xiangwen suddenly spotted a book on a low table near the head of the main hall.

He couldn't see what was written on the cover of the book from his angle, but he had a feeling that it must be the second volume of the Dharma scroll he was looking for.

He didn't dare look any longer; he glanced at it and then looked away.

After calming down a bit, Li Xiangwen recalled the words spoken by that muffled, hoarse voice and felt a little strange.

He knew his place in the matter and that the other person's words were probably not directed at him.

Could it be addressed to the mysterious being who drew the talisman?

Li Xiangwen gripped the talisman tightly.

This is the only thing he can rely on.

After Li Xiangwen took his seat, an eerie silence fell over the hall.

As time went by, Li Xiangwen, who was already feeling extremely uncomfortable, became increasingly uneasy.

He even envied the old Taoist Xuan Gui, at least the old Taoist Xuan Gui did not need to deliberately control his body and keep himself in a still posture.

After an unknown amount of time, when Li Xiangwen's body was numb from sitting, he finally saw several ghosts carrying several people into the main hall.

Two of these people are Taoist priests, while the other four or five are not wearing Taoist robes, so it's impossible to tell if they are Taoist priests or not.

After these people were seated, the lobby returned to silence.

The only light in the entire hall was the flickering candlelight.

Perhaps it was a hallucination caused by sitting for too long, but Li Xiangwen noticed that the dolls among the pile of magical artifacts he had brought seemed to have changed slightly...

After an unknown amount of time, Li Xiangwen, who had grown numb from waiting, finally heard a slightly different sound.

"Since the Goddess Wu cannot come in person, she has specially sent my daughter with gifts to congratulate you on your escape from danger."

A jolt went through him, and Li Xiangwen glanced sideways.

The woman who entered the hall was pale-faced and dressed in ancient costume, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to call her a female ghost.

The female ghost looked at Li Xiangwen with some surprise, then nodded to him.

The hoarse, indistinct voice sighed, "Which generation of Wunu is this?"

The female ghost respectfully replied, "The previous generation of the Weaver Girl Goddess has already ascended to heaven after her death. This generation is the eighteenth Weaver Girl Goddess."

"Miaojing is gone too? Time flies. I never imagined that while I was sealed away for so many years, the Wu Nu lineage would have reached its eighteenth generation. Please take your seats."

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the female ghost sat down next to Li Xiangwen.

The female ghost glanced at Li Xiangwen curiously for a few moments, then smiled at him again.

Li Xiangwen dared not respond.

Just then, his heart skipped a beat, and he turned to look at his magical artifact.

It's not an illusion!

The doll has indeed changed a bit, and seems to have become more mystical.

Li Xiangwen had only experienced this feeling the first time he used the Divination Technique.

After being trapped in this eerie place, the doll lost its supernatural qualities.

Now, when compared, the changes in the puppets are particularly noticeable.

Li Xiangwen's movements were so exaggerated that they attracted the attention of several ghosts standing in front of the table.

The female ghost beside him also looked at Li Xiangwen.

Li Xiangwen felt a chill run down his spine, sensing that the terrifying thing at the top was definitely watching him.

Sweat, accumulated over a long period of time, dripped down his forehead.

The hoarse, indistinct voice broke the oppressive atmosphere: "Now that our distinguished guest has arrived, let's begin the meal."

Just as Li Xiangwen breathed a sigh of relief, he saw the Taoist priest next to him and the Taoist priest opposite him eating the disgusting stuff on the table.

He raised his hand, but couldn't suppress his disgust as he grabbed at the wriggling worms and rotting flesh.

"Why don't you eat?"

Knowing that these words were directed at him, Li Xiangwen tensed up.

The shadow gradually appeared in his peripheral vision, making Li Xiangwen feel a suffocating pressure.

Why aren't you eating? Is this food not to your liking?

A shadow fell over Li Xiangwen.

Li Xiangwen felt a chill run through his body and lost control of his body.

He slowly raised his right hand and grabbed at the rotten meat in the bowl.

Suddenly, a wisp of green smoke rose from the talisman he held in his left hand.

Li Xiangwen, whose palms were burned, found that he had regained control of his body.

The talisman fell to the ground, bursting into flames.

The shadows were driven back by the talisman.

Li Xiangwen grabbed his magical artifact without hesitation.

He quickly unwrapped the white cloth, picked up the doll, and a bowl filled with white rice.

Nervous, he ignored the previous ritual steps, picked up the bowl with his trembling right hand, smashed it on the doll, and began chanting a spell.

"Heaven and earth are in chaos, yin and yang are in harmony. I respectfully beseech the gods of the three realms and the spirits of my ancestors. Your disciple, Li Xiangwen, sincerely kowtows and begs for divine intervention..."

He was too nervous and used too much force, smashing the doll's head so hard that it dented it.

His voice, like his hands, trembled slightly when he chanted the incantation.

But he managed to finish his incantation before the talisman burned to ashes.

(End of this chapter)