Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 974 Blood Pool Oath

It exudes two cool, calming auras that silently seep into the soul.

The Great Wisdom Dharma King's mind, which had been pounded by anger and murderous intent, calmed down slightly.

He took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the urge to immediately clean house, but his eyes remained icy cold.

Staring at the rubble in his hand that had completely lost its luster, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly after a moment, and he even let out a soft breath.

"Fortunately, there was a problem with the arrangements in Dazexiang."

He muttered to himself, as if trying to comfort himself, "Jixian is remote, and although the ritual there is important, it is not the core hub of the current plan. Hou Sheng is mediocre, and it is understandable that he makes occasional mistakes."

He swept the pebbles off the table with a flick of his sleeve, his tone becoming indifferent, attempting to downplay the accident:

"Alright, alright. With such a grand undertaking, there are countless details to consider. It's normal for an unexpected problem to occur in one or two aspects from time to time. As long as the fundamentals remain unchanged, there's no major issue."

More importantly, compared to the bad news coming from the south, the turmoil in the north was practically nothing.

Thinking of this, the Great Wisdom Dharma King even felt a strange sense of relief.

"The current situation... is much better than in the South..."

The fact that two Dharma Kings had fallen in the South might be unknown to ordinary high-ranking members of the sect, but as a core Dharma King, how could he not know?

It wasn't entirely unexpected that the Karmapa suffered such a defeat.

That guy was a latecomer who rose to power through a bit of luck and ruthlessness. He had little real talent, and his downfall in the dangerous Jiangnan region was a fitting end.

But the fall of that old monster, the Great Compassionate Dharma King, truly chilled people to the bone!
The old man is extremely senior and his cultivation is unfathomable. He is especially skilled in the Way of Dream and Soul, which is mysterious and difficult to guard against. It is said that even if his physical body is destroyed, he can find an opportunity to be reborn by relying on the imprint of his dreams, making him almost immortal!

Even so, news still spread throughout the Mengshan Society that he had completely perished...

Just how deep are the waters in the Jiangnan region? And what terrifying forces lurk behind them?

In contrast, although the North has appeared chaotic in recent years, with numerous warlords rising up, demons running rampant, regional princes carving up the country, and constant friction between the righteous path and the imperial court, there is a strange "order" beneath this complex and chaotic appearance.

The checks and balances among various forces ironically created an opening for the White Lotus Sect to develop covertly.

More importantly, the cult leader seems to have found a new partner, and the entire plan for the North is progressing steadily, with everything under control...

At least, that was the case until today.

"Occasional accidents are acceptable."

The Great Wisdom Dharma King reiterated to himself that the changes in Dazexiang should be characterized as a controllable and localized setback.

Thinking about it this way, I felt a sense of relief, as if I had unintentionally avoided a potential problem, and even had a feeling of surviving a disaster.

In the underworld, above the boundless pool of blood corresponding to the gate of Dazexiang.

The moment the black portal was completely solidified and formed under the violent collision of Yin and Yang forces, the aura of the living beings of the mortal world emanating from within the portal, as well as the light of hope representing the "passage" itself, was like a drop of sweet spring water thrown into a parched desert, instantly igniting the negative emotions that had accumulated here for hundreds of years!

A yearning for life and flesh in the mortal realm!

Envy for the living who possess everything that the dead have lost!

An extreme yearning to return to the world and rebuild one's career!

These twisted and intense obsessions erupted like a volcano among the 100,000 ghost soldiers! The resentment and malevolent energy throughout the Blood Pool Hell were stirred up, boiling and churning!

The leader of the ghost kings, Chen Sheng, felt it most intensely!
He had waited too long for this moment!

Gazing at the finally opened door, the resentment, anger, and ambition that had been building up in his chest for hundreds of years transformed into a soul-rending roar to the heavens!

"Roar--!"

The whistling sound was like a signal, and the 100,000 ghost soldiers behind him, densely packed with simple equipment but filled with resentment, also let out earth-shattering howls!
Countless slumbering or wandering ferocious beings were startled by this sudden, terrifying sound wave and intense fluctuation of yang energy, turning their gaze to this previously inconspicuous blood pool hell.

Chen Sheng suddenly drew the long sword from his waist, the one that had accompanied him in battle and was now rusty but even more menacing. He turned around abruptly, his gaze like lightning, sweeping over the thousands of soldiers standing behind him!
Our gaze first fell upon the core generals at the forefront:
Deng Zong and Song Liu, armed with spears and mounted on horseback, though now ghosts, still retained the heroic posture of charging into battle in their former lives, their eyes wide open in anger, as if ready to tear apart any obstacles in their path at any moment.

Qin Jia and Zhao Ping held the tattered yet unyielding "Zhang Chu" King's Banner. The wind howled and the two large characters seemed to still be burning against the blood-red background.

General Ge Ying was even more menacing, and the resentment around his ghostly body was almost tangible, as if he was still indignant about his past merits and demerits and was eager for a great battle to wash away or prove his innocence!
And look at that vast army formation:
There were seven hundred chariots, their wheels covered in blood and mud that never dried, and their shafts were covered with deep knife marks from who-knows-where.

The chariot was no longer pulled by a fine horse from the mortal world, but by a ferocious, transformed demonic beast. Its appearance was terrifying, and wherever its hooves trod, the pool of blood and turbid waves would automatically surge and make way.

Two thousand cavalrymen, both rider and horse clad in heavy, dark armor, thick black blood seeping from the gaps in their armor, and eerie green flames burning fiercely in the eyes of their horses and riders. Their silent neighing, yet the aura emanating from them, striking straight to the soul, was more chilling than any battle cry. One hundred thousand infantrymen, densely packed, stood like a forest!

Although the armor was rusted, the weapons were crude, and many soldiers' faces had decayed, revealing their bare bones, every ghost soldier stood tall. The grim atmosphere of the army formation condensed into a suffocating dark cloud, and the murderous aura soared into the sky, making the crimson sky of this blood pool hell even darker!
It was as if time had turned back, and everything had returned to that night in Dazexiang when the torrential rain was pouring down and fate was decided!

He abruptly pointed the rusty sword at the blood-red dome of this hellish place, and his voice suddenly exploded:

"Gentlemen, behold! This pool of blood and turbid waves, this boundless sea of ​​suffering, how could they possibly bury our courage and spirit?! Though the weapons of the tyrannical Qin Dynasty are now covered in dust, their chill remains! How could the mere shackles of Yama, the King of Hell, forever imprison our lofty aspirations?!"

"In the past, we cut down trees to make weapons and raised bamboo poles as flags. What we sought was not merely to eke out a living in the depths of hell! Today, though our armor may be rusted, our spirits remain sharp! Though the swan has broken its wings, its ambition still soars to the heavens!"

Finally, using all his remaining ghostly power, he uttered that earth-shattering question that once shook an era, his voice like a storm sweeping across all directions:
"I ask you—are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born with a special destiny?!"

"Are they born with a special destiny?!"

"Are they born with a special destiny?!"

One hundred thousand ghost soldiers responded in unison, their voices merging into one, causing the sea of ​​blood to churn and the blood pool to surge wildly for thousands of miles!
Countless evil spirits and malevolent souls trapped here trembled with fear at the sudden and terrifying sound, cowering in the corner.

Meanwhile, some overlords and ghost kings from other areas of the underworld who had just arrived, drawn by the strange activity in this place, were secretly watching from the shadows. They felt the soaring resentment and fighting spirit, and their hearts trembled and they were secretly terrified.

"What we have lost is not only our lives, but also justice!"

"This underworld cannot imprison the righteousness in our hearts! Today, we will use the soaring murderous aura of these 100,000 comrades as a ladder to heaven, and the 700 war chariots as hammers to break through obstacles, to reopen the path between Yin and Yang and reclaim what is rightfully ours!"

"Roar--!"

Ge Ying, the most violent of the three, was the first to raise his spear and roar, his ghostly aura surging upwards, the spear tip stirring up clouds of blood! Generals Deng Zong, Song Liu, and others were even more enraged, their eyes bloodshot, the tears flowing from their eyes no longer tears, but thick black blood, their murderous aura almost burning! The morale of the entire army was completely ignited, like a volcano about to erupt!
Taking advantage of the situation, Chen Sheng raised his rusty sword high, the blade humming as if resonating with the will of the 100,000 ghost soldiers:
"Those who wish to follow me shall remember the oath we made on that rainy night in the Great Swamp! Never forget why we rose up, why we fought! Today, let this sword be our pledge!" He pointed his sword sharply at the black portal that had just been stabilized and was still resisting life.

"Shatter these shackles of the underworld and fight once more in the mortal realm!"

Finally, gathering all his strength, he issued the command for a final assault, his voice tearing through the sky:

"All troops, heed my command: Objective—Break through the Ghost Gate and restore the banners of Zhang Chu!"

Even if I lose all wealth and status, I will still make my name resound throughout the world.

After a suffocating silence, a deafening roar erupted:

"kill!!!"

"kill--!!!"

The 100,000 ghost soldiers roared in unison, and the immense baleful aura they formed surged into the sky like a massive black cloud!
Back then, the ghost soldiers under King Helü of Wu in the Yintian Palace of King Zhou were better equipped, had more rigorous formations, were more numerous, and had a stronger foundation of strength.

But at this moment, when it comes to this indomitable and fierce momentum, no force in the underworld can match this army formed by the souls of the "first uprising against Qin"!

Chen Sheng may have lost the empire, his life, and his belief in saving the world.

But the courage to be the first in the world and to wield the sword against the supreme authority has not been erased after hundreds of years of hellish torment. Instead, it has been tempered and refined to become even purer and more extreme!
Just as the 100,000 ghost soldiers were unleashing their murderous aura, the black portal, which should have been their target, suddenly twisted and trembled unnaturally, and convulsed violently.

Immediately afterwards, an extremely incongruous figure rolled out of the doorway, accompanied by a drawn-out wail.

"Ouch~~~?!"

The sound was clear and crisp, with a touch of childlike innocence.

The child who had rolled onto the ground was a little boy who looked to be about ten years old.

The child had rosy lips and white teeth, bright eyes and lively features, and was full of spiritual energy, just like a flawless piece of jade.

In this filthy and bloody hell, it's like a drop of clean water falling into a pot of oil—it looks so good... utterly out of place!
Ten thousand pairs of eyes from the blood pool ghosts, originally burning with a desire for the mortal world and a mad urge to destroy it, were now all focused on this suddenly appearing "snack" that exuded an alluring vitality.

The resentment and malevolent energy, almost solidified, instantly engulfed the little child like an icy tide.

As soon as Qi Jinchan looked up, she was met with a dense array of ghostly eyes radiating a bloodthirsty red light.

Even with tens of thousands of people, the space is still boundless, let alone a hundred thousand ferocious demons gathered in this blood-red space.
The visual and psychological impact was enough to break the mind of an ordinary cultivator.

"How...how did I get to be the first one out?!"

Qi Jinchan's heart skipped a beat. Even though he was the son of the leader of the Shu Mountain sect and had seen many big scenes, his face turned a little pale at this moment.

The brilliant and impressive poem he had prepared long ago suddenly got stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

(End of this chapter)