The Terror of the Heavens Begins with Gu

Chapter 139 The Ascension Picture of the Weaver Girl and the Curse Against the Weaver Girl

Even if the water is crystal clear, an ordinary person's vision will be obstructed when entering a river.

However, Li Zhen entered the water in his primordial spirit state. Even with limited perception in this environment, he could still clearly sense the place where yin energy was gathering.

If he were in his physical body, he certainly wouldn't be able to escape the river's current; he would need to prepare proper diving equipment before he could go into the water.

Li Zhen has not learned any water-related magic, so the abilities of those evil creatures will be greatly affected when they are in water.

The most suitable approach is to approach it in a state of spiritual awareness.

This state is also the most suitable way to explore.

The river here is very deep, completely disproportionate to the width of the Wu River.

It seems there was originally a huge cave here, which was later submerged by the Wushui River and disappeared into the water.

As they approached the riverbed, Li Zhen noticed that the water was almost still; the current was constantly rising from the bottom but no longer flowing forward.

Looking up, the light on the water's surface became very faint, swaying constantly with the current, and becoming increasingly dim the closer one got to the riverbed.

This place is about 20 to 30 meters above the river.

This is nothing in the ocean, but for a river like the Wushui River, which doesn't have a very large flow, it's an incredibly deep depth.

The riverbed was filled with rocks of all sizes, and there was no silt or sand.

Some of the stones are very regular in shape and show signs of being carved by hand.

Li Zhen continued forward.

In front of the pile of rubble, he saw a paved stone staircase.

A dense algae grows on the stone steps, swaying constantly with the water flow. Various ferocious fish swim around in the silent water, the largest of which is larger than an adult human.

Are there fish that big in the Wushui River?

The fish has a strange appearance; from the front, it looks like a monkey's face.

Detective Li had never seen this kind of fish before.

The fish didn't spot Li Zhen, but they instinctively avoided him because he made them uneasy.

After "walking" up the stone steps, Li Zhen realized that the length of these steps was far greater than their thickness, as if no one had considered how it would feel to walk on them; they were not meant for people to walk on.

A normal person would definitely feel uncomfortable walking up these steps.

The number of steps is also quite unusual, consisting of eight.

Generally speaking, when building steps for a burial site, an odd number of steps is chosen because odd numbers are considered yang numbers, which bring yang energy to the cemetery and are beneficial to the prosperity of the descendants of the deceased.

The number used here is an even number, which implies endlessness and imperfection, and is clearly not an auspicious number.

At the top of the steps is a narrow platform, at the end of which lies an oval-shaped passage carved into the stone.

This passageway is only wide enough for two adults to walk side by side, and its height is about the same as that of an average adult, making it feel very cramped.

Based on the distance Li Zhen traveled, this passage should have been carved into the mountain next to the Wushui River.

The passageway became even more eerie.

Although it was dim outside, there was still some light, but once inside, not a single ray of light could be seen.

However, Li Zhen was in a primordial spirit state, so the absence of light did not affect his perception.

The passage is flanked by flat stone walls.

A sticky substance, like undried glue, adhered to the stone wall.

Seeing something vaguely carved on the stone wall, Li Zhen cleaned up both sides of the stone wall.

After the attached material fell off, the water in the passage became somewhat murky, but it did not affect Li Zhen's perception.

There are carvings on both sides of the stone wall.

On the left side of the stone wall is a carving of a woman subduing various ferocious demons.

There are no written explanations, only a date is engraved above each mural.

The first mural was carved more than four hundred years ago.

The shortest interval between the wall carvings is only a few years, and the longest is several decades. The most recent wall carving depicts an event that occurred nearly a hundred years ago.

On the right are more mysterious murals involving gods and ghosts.

This wall carving is vertical, extending from the entrance to the exit, and is divided into three parts, each occupying one-third of the length of the stone wall.

The part closest to the entrance of the passage is carved with a rugged, naked giant standing on a giant turtle supporting the earth, surrounded by creatures of the underworld such as spirit turtles and owls, seemingly symbolizing the dark underworld.

The central section depicts a woman in an elegant dress performing a ritual, accompanied by her attendants.

The woman's appearance is somewhat similar to that of the woman suppressing the ghosts on the other side; they should be the same person.

The top of this wall carving depicts a celestial scene of a golden crow roosting in the sun, a toad accompanying the moon, and the sun and moon revolving. On either side of the celestial realm, there are strange mythical beasts guarding the heavenly gate.

From the underworld to the heavens, two intertwined rivers connect the two realms, making the underworld, the human world, and the heavens blend seamlessly.

This looks like... a soul-summoning banner?

According to custom, a soul-guiding banner is usually placed in front of the deceased during the funeral procession to guide the soul from familiar places to the place it is meant to go.

Due to the expanding influence of Buddhism, many of today's soul-guiding banners bear traces of Buddhism, such as the inscription "Great Road to the Western Paradise."

However, the older soul-guiding banners were not like this.

During the Han Dynasty, the soul-guiding banner usually appeared in the form of a painted banner and was used to guide the soul of the deceased to heaven during funeral rites.

The wall carving that Li Zhen saw was a kind of soul-guiding banner in the form of a painted banner, except that the material used for painting was not cloth.

Everything here must be related to the Wunu (a mythical maiden).

So, does that mean the woman depicted on this "soul-guiding banner" is the Wu Nu?

And this river that connects the three realms is the Wu River.

In this way, the meaning of the entire mural is that the Wushui River, which passes through the three realms, guides the Wushui Maiden from the human world to the heavenly realm.

If Li Zhen saw such a thing in another tomb, he might think it was just an ordinary soul-guiding banner, merely a symbol of the relatives' wishes for the deceased to ascend to heaven.

However, this place is related to the Wu Nu (a legendary female immortal), and is filled with a mysterious atmosphere, so it is naturally not an ordinary place.

The stone steps outside and the carvings here seem to be part of some kind of ritual.

Is this a ceremony for ascending to immortality?

Even though he had acquired a great deal of knowledge about feng shui, Li Zhen had never seen such a ceremony before.

Perhaps it's because I didn't see the complete setup...

When Li Zhen arrived at the exit of the passage, he cleaned up the wall carvings on the side of the "Soul-Guiding Banner". He did not see the time, but only an inconspicuous character "Xu" in the lower corner of the wall carvings.

Is this the name of the craftsman who carved the mural?

Li Zhen withdrew his gaze and pushed open a door made of some kind of skeleton that was blocking his way.

After seeing the scene in front of him, he was stunned.

This is a huge underwater cave, like a real grotto, which houses a multi-story building.

The building is constructed entirely of wood and features triple eaves, resembling the main hall of a Taoist temple.

If Li Zhen were to witness such a scene in a famous mountain or river during the day, he would surely be able to sense the ethereal aura emanating from it.

The main hall is housed within a "grotto-heaven," a scene not only found in legendary blessed lands and grotto-heavens.

But the scene before us was in a flooded underground cave.

It was pitch black here, and there wasn't a trace of human life.

All Li Zhen could sense was something eerie.

The concepts of blessed lands and celestial realms and ascension to immortality are closely linked. When combined with death and corpses, they create a strange sense of contrast.

This contrast can evoke a sense of apprehension when facing the mysterious.

It is apprehension, not fear.

It's difficult for Detective Li to feel fear.

Even faced with such a visually striking scene, he only felt apprehensive.

Is this place a symbol of humanity?

Li Zhen looked back at the passage he had passed through.

So, beyond the passage and below the steps lies the underworld?
And do those fish symbolize creatures from the underworld?

Naturally, the "grotto-heaven" that Li Zhen saw and the building must symbolize the celestial realm.

Entering this place from underwater, it is indeed a three-stage process.

Even without understanding the layout, Li Zhen knew that it must involve very profound feng shui knowledge.

The feng shui knowledge he acquired was merely superficial compared to what was being demonstrated here.

The person with this kind of imagination and who created this arrangement is definitely not an ordinary person...

The cave was sunken, and Li Zhen went down several steps before arriving at the door of the building.

He took a few steps forward, and everything in front of him suddenly changed.

The flickering candlelight in the dark buildings gave them a touch of warmth and life.

The wind chimes hanging under the eaves swayed with the flowing water, making a clear, ringing sound.

Li Zhen looked around in surprise and found that the water next to him seemed to have turned into air, greatly reducing its obstruction effect on him.

Even if he came down in his physical body, he probably wouldn't face a situation where he couldn't breathe here.

Looking back, Li Zhen walked into the building that resembled the main hall of a Taoist temple.

There were no statues of gods inside; there was an altar directly opposite the main gate.

Several huge candles were lit on the altar, and beneath them were offerings commonly used in worshipping the gods.

On either side of the main hall are small, partitioned rooms.

The hut had no windows, only a small door that was knee-high.

A small candle was lit on either side of each small door. Seeing these small doors, Li Zhen felt very awkward.

This kind of door is probably only accessible to animals like cats and dogs without any obstruction.

Or... can the dead be pushed in?
This door gave Li Zhen the impression that he only wanted to send things in, but didn't want the things inside to come out.

The distance between the two doors is also very small, which gives you an idea of ​​how oppressive it must be inside.

Li Zhen walked to the altar and saw a staircase leading upwards on the left.

Half of the staircase was bathed in the dim candlelight, while the other half was blocked by the wall and shrouded in shadow.

Li Zhen, who was observing the stairs, suddenly turned his head to look at the small door on his right that was making a "creaking" sound.

The small door opened a crack.

After a brief pause, the gap widened until it opened completely outwards.

The candlelight in front of the small door flickered and almost went out.

From Li Zhen's perspective, the hem of a white dress can be seen.

The style of this skirt was exactly the same as the skirt worn by the Wunu (a female immortal) he had seen in the wall carving.

The hem of the garment had several table legs in front, which looked the same as the table legs under the altar in front of Li Zhen.

The layout inside should depict a woman standing in front of an altar.

Just as Li Zhen saw the hem of the dress, strands of black thread-like material began to fall from it.

That's... hair?
More and more hair is hanging down.

Then a face appeared in Li Zhen's eyes upside down.

First the forehead, then the eyes, and finally the bridge of the nose, face, and mouth...

This is a woman, or rather, a female corpse.

The female corpse's skin was shockingly white, as if it had been painted with white paint, while her eyes were pure black, giving her an indescribable eeriness.

The female corpse bore a resemblance to the image of the Weaver Girl depicted on the soul-guiding banner.

Is this the Wunu?
Li Zhen is in a primordial spirit state, making it difficult for ordinary people to detect his existence, but the female corpse has already discovered him.

A white hand hung down and gestured a few times in Li Zhen's direction, as if inviting him to come in.

Suddenly, the scene changed, and Li Zhen's eyes were once again on the altar.

He subconsciously thought he was looking at the altar directly opposite the door again.

But after a quick glance, he noticed that the altar he was seeing now was arranged differently from the one he had seen earlier.

At this point, an incense burner was added to the altar.

The sound of the door slamming shut came from behind me.

The surrounding walls were slowly closing in on Li Zhen, as if to imprison him in that narrow room.

At the same time, a figure with an eerie aura pressed close behind Li Zhen, trying to freeze him in place.

Without a doubt, Li Zhen is now in the same spot where the female corpse was standing.

Detective Li finally found out what had happened.

This place is indeed extraordinary; a female corpse can actually affect his primordial spirit state...

If he were to lose his body, Li Zhen might face some trouble in this situation.

But he is currently in a primordial spirit state, so this place cannot possibly trap him.

Li Zhen overturned the altar, turned around, roughly grabbed the female ghost by the neck, and pushed her through the wall where the small door was located.

The woman's screams shattered the tranquility of the place.

All the small doors creaked.

One after another, female corpses with similar appearances crawled out from the small door.

Is there more than one Wunu?
Li Zhen twisted off the head of the female corpse in his hand, threw the struggling corpse to the ground, and went straight to the second floor.

A maid carrying a white lantern came down from upstairs and bumped into Li Zhen.

The environment here is special, which is why this maid can also detect Li Zhen in his primordial spirit state.

She stopped in her tracks, looking at Li Zhen in surprise: "It's you..."

Li Zhen grabbed the female ghost's head and casually threw her towards the female corpses chasing after them.

He himself "floated" to the second floor.

The second floor was even more spacious, with no altar inside, only a pitch-black coffin.

Several female ghosts dressed as maids were standing in front of the coffin, burning incense.

Li Zhen is too fast.

Before the maids could react, Li Zhen had already burst into the room.

After casually killing the female ghost, Li Zhen arrived at the coffin.

The coffin lid opened silently, and a hand with sharp nails emerged from beneath it, stabbing at Li Zhen's arm.

Li Zhen grabbed the other person's wrist and yanked the arm out of the coffin.

The severed arm was made of decaying flesh, yet it had no odor.

The coffin lid was blown off, and another hand with sharp nails reached out and grabbed at Li Zhen's retreating soul.

A sharp pain shot through him, but Li Zhen did not linger there.

The thing inside the coffin has come back to life, and its aura is becoming increasingly terrifying.

If this was all that was left, Li Zhen wouldn't be afraid of the other party.

But there's more than just this here.

The entire building, as if haunted by evil spirits, began to revive, filling the space with an increasingly oppressive atmosphere.

Li Zhen knew that if he didn't leave soon, he might suffer a loss.

His strongest methods now are not relying on his own primordial spirit to fight head-on, but rather on the sorcery and witchcraft built upon his physical body.

Our objective has been achieved, so it's time to go back...

Returning to his physical body is many times faster than finding this place with his primordial spirit, because he can sense the location of his physical body and there is no need to return along the original path.

His primordial spirit grew stronger and stronger, and so did his abilities.

Now, not only can we travel farther away from our own bodies, but we can also use our abilities more flexibly.

Passing directly through the roof, Li Zhen relied on his senses of his physical body to continuously "float" upwards.

Bow down.

Li Zhen looked at the strange building underwater.

As if demons were resurrected, the aura emanating from the building grew stronger and stronger, quickly enveloping Li Zhen's primordial spirit within it.

Li Zhen felt a strong pulling force trying to pull him back to the bottom of the river.

Stimulated by his visualization, the three evil spirits in his consciousness opened their eyes simultaneously.

An indescribable eeriness emanated from Li Zhen, forcing back the strange pull that had been enveloping him.

Emerging from the water and passing through the thick mountainside, Li Zhen quickly returned to his body.

A decaying white arm fell to the ground.

Strangely, after the arm fell to the ground, it could still bend and stretch, trying to escape, as if it were still attached to its original body.

Ignoring the sharp pain in his chest, Li Zhen quickly opened the package brought by the little ghost and the mahjong ghost, and set up a simple altar in no time.

After placing the red-eyed bat on the altar, Li Zhen quickly poured the prepared snake venom into a bowl.

"Corpse fluid."

He glanced at the little devil holding the rotting cat.

The little devil knew what Li Zhen wanted to do. Without saying a word, he picked up the cat, dripped the putrid liquid from the cat onto the snake venom, and then pulled some maggots from the cat and put them into a bowl.

Li Zhen chanted incantations while gently shaking the bowl.

Soon, the contents of the bowl turned into a dark green liquid.

Li Zhen took out two iron nails, dipped them in the juice, and then nailed them to the struggling arm next to him.

The nailed arm twitched violently, and the pure white flesh on it quickly turned a dark black.

This is the Golden Needle Poison Curse that Li Zhen saw in Na Long's memories, but it's a simplified version.

But even with Li Zhen's strength, not many people could withstand the simplified version.

After absorbing some of Nalong's memories, his understanding of the Bat School's sorcery became much deeper, to the point that he could use it at will.

Now that he has obtained part of the other party's body, he has many kinds of black magic that he can directly use on this hand.

This hand is connected to the opponent's body and aura. Once this arm is afflicted by a curse, the opponent will be unable to escape it.

Sensing something, Li Zhen looked at the river and noticed that it was stained with a faint red color, as if someone had poured a large amount of blood into the river.

Although the Wushui River is not a major river, its water volume is still considerable.

The entire area was stained red, making the scene look quite eerie.

This will continue for a while, and you'll definitely see related reports in tomorrow's local news.

Sensing resistance, Li Zhen closed his eyes and quickly chanted the incantation.

The red-eyed bat let out a strange "squeak," and its pair of red eyes also looked at the rotting arm.

The resistance has decreased slightly.

Li Zhen opened his eyes, selected several materials, and then cast two different spells on that arm.

The opponent is a ghost with a corpse, far more bizarre than a human. A single curse might not be enough to completely destroy its corpse...

(End of this chapter)