Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 118 Night Parade of One Hundred Demons (5k)

Seeing this, the old temple keeper could no longer care about anything else. He jumped up from the prayer mat, his expression becoming extremely cold and stern.

Because he knew this was a sign that a terrible disaster was about to occur.

Therefore, without hesitation, he went straight to the inner room at the back and took down the long-forgotten magic sword from the shelf.

When he reappeared, his old face no longer held its usual affability; instead, it was filled with a mountain-like solemnity and determination.

"Master!"

Ge Kun had just sensed something was wrong, so he rushed to the main hall. But as soon as he stepped over the threshold, he saw his master looking like he was facing a formidable enemy, and his heart sank.

Just then, several dark figures silently sneaked into the City God Temple.

The leader was wearing a large black cloak with the hood pulled low, obscuring his face.

The most bizarre thing was that his lower body was shrouded in a gray mist, and when he walked, his feet were three inches off the ground, as if he were walking on invisible air.

Their goal was crystal clear: they crossed the front courtyard and headed straight for the main hall.

The undisguised chilling killing intent made the incense in the hall flicker.

"Who dares to trespass into the forbidden area of ​​the City God!"

With a shout, the old temple priest drew his magic sword, instantly mobilizing the incense and prayer power accumulated over hundreds of years in the entire hall. This power transformed into a visible golden wave of energy, slashing fiercely at the eerie man charging at the forefront.

This sword strike gathers the divine power of an entire temple, enough to slay demons and vanquish evil!
However, the cloaked man merely raised his hand dismissively and waved it casually.

A thick, gray mist appeared out of nowhere, like a large net, easily swallowing and dissolving the golden energy wave.

"The old man is still quite energetic, but it's useless. Today is the day of death for you self-proclaimed righteous people."

As they spoke, the gray mist suddenly condensed, transforming into a ferocious ghost hand that directly grabbed at the old temple keeper and his apprentice Ge Kun.

Before the ghostly hand even arrived, the bone-chilling cold air had already made Ge Kun feel cold all over his body, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

He bit his tongue, took a deep breath, and threw out several talismans.

"Edict!"

The talisman transformed into flames and struck the ghostly hand, but it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, failing to even stir up a ripple.

Seeing that the master and apprentice were about to be crushed by the ghostly hand, a resolute look flashed in the old temple keeper's eyes.

He suddenly pushed Ge Kun backward, using his own back to withstand most of the pressure from the ghost hand.

puff!
He spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered, and his face instantly turned ashen.

"Go! Go and warn the others!" he roared hoarsely with all his might.

"Master!"

Ge Kun's eyes were bloodshot, and tears welled up in his eyes.

He knew that his master was prepared to die and was willing to use his own life to buy him time.

He dared not disobey, so he turned and left.

"Trying to leave?" The cloaked man sneered. "Not so easy."

The ghostly hand reached out again, heading straight for Ge Kun's back.

At this critical moment, the old temple keeper's final roar came from behind.

"Divine Edict!"

The old temple keeper's body suddenly burst forth with dazzling golden light. He had burned his own soul without hesitation and forcibly activated his most treasured temple-protecting secret technique!
A thick golden beam of light shot into the sky, instantly shattering the gray ghost hand and tearing apart the roof of the hall, like a sharp sword piercing the heavens!
The golden light briefly illuminated a corner of the night sky over Zhenhaiwei.

"You old bastard, you're asking for it!"

The cloaked man clearly hadn't expected the old Taoist to be so fierce, letting out a roar of shock and anger before getting serious.

The vast gray mist transformed into countless venomous snakes, devouring the old temple keeper from all directions.

At this moment, the old temple keeper was at his last gasp, and the power gained from burning his soul was fleeting.

After barely managing to withstand a few blows with his magic sword, he was whipped away by a mist snake and crashed heavily into the base of the statue, spitting out another mouthful of blood.

His body aged at a visible rate; his skin became loose and his hair turned white, as if decades of his lifespan had been taken away in an instant.

A figure flashed in front of him, and a withered hand, like a tree branch, pressed down on the top of his head.

The cloaked man finally revealed his true face, an old face like withered tree bark, with sunken eye sockets and eyes filled with a cold, lifeless look, hardly resembling a living person.

"You think your warning will work?" Ku Rong Daoist grinned maliciously, his voice sharp and piercing. "Don't forget tonight is New Year's Eve. Everyone outside is setting off fireworks. Who will notice this little light?"

“You old bastard, if you kneel down and beg for mercy now, I… will spare your life.”

The old temple keeper raised his head, his cloudy eyes showing no sign of submission or fear, only cold contempt.

He looked at the withered and prosperous Taoist, and with great effort, he forced a faint, cold laugh.

That look seemed to say: You don't deserve it?
The murderous intent in the eyes of the withered and flourishing Taoist instantly boiled over.

"court death!"

He suddenly exerted force with his palm.

The old temple keeper's body stiffened, and the last glimmer of light in his eyes was completely extinguished.

Then his body crumbled like a weathered statue, eventually turning into a handful of ashes and dissipating into the air.

Almost at the same time.

Boom!

The City God statue in the center of the main hall, which had protected Zhenhaiwei for hundreds of years, let out a final mournful cry before completely exploding into rubble.

……

Ge Kun, who had already run out of the temple gate, suddenly felt a jolt in his heart, as if he had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and the pain made it hard for him to breathe.

He instinctively turned around and saw the golden pillar of light that had shot into the sky tragically dissipate in the night.

That was Master's final warning.

Master... is gone.

Overwhelmed by immense grief, like a tsunami, he was instantly engulfed.

But he dared not stop, much less cry.

He had to inform the others; he had to remember this blood feud!
Suppressing his grief, Ge Kun rushed into the night.

This is a forbidden area deep within the City God Temple, and also the place with the heaviest Yin energy in the entire Zhenhaiwei. Therefore, it is usually locked up by layers of iron chains engraved with runes, prohibiting anyone from approaching.

But at this moment, these chains were forcibly broken, and the withered and prosperous Taoist priest entered the forbidden area with his men, then chuckled coldly.

"Hurry up and get started! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially since it's New Year's Eve. We need to give people a surprise."

Upon hearing his instructions, these people cut their palms and began to draw a complex magic circle on the ground with their blood.

These people moved extremely fast and paid no attention to the loss of their own blood, so a large formation quickly took shape.

As the last stroke was completed, the Taoist Ku Rong began to chant scriptures aloud.

This scripture is extremely evil and contains deep malice.

As he chanted, his subordinates who had come with him all had a look of fanaticism in their eyes, and then they stepped into the magic circle without hesitation.

hum!
The magic array shone brightly red, and the bodies of the men in black instantly withered away. All their essence, energy, and soul were absorbed by the magic array in an instant, turning them into offerings for the activation ceremony.

Immediately afterwards, the crimson light of the magic circle began to beat rhythmically like a giant heart.

At the same time, the entire Zhenhaiwei area began to tremble slightly.

Above the magic circle, the crimson light and shadow gradually distorted, slowly projecting the phantom of a huge stone gate.

"Hahaha, it's done!"

With a maniacal excitement in his eyes, the Daoist Ku Rong cut open his wrist and sprayed more of his blood essence onto the magic array.

Nourished by the essence and blood, the illusory stone gate became increasingly solid.

Then the stone door slowly opened a crack.

In an instant, countless ghostly screams and howls echoed from within, while a torrent of gray mist surged forth and spread rapidly.

……

In the courtyard of Chen Ye's residence.

He was enjoying the dazzling fireworks in the night sky with Tie Dan, Chun Yan, and others when an ominous tremor suddenly came from the ground beneath his feet.

A sudden, inexplicable feeling of unease made him furrow his brow.

He looked up at the night sky. The fireworks were still dazzling, but the night sky seemed to have been splashed with thick, indissoluble ink, becoming deeper and darker than ever before.

Not right.

Chen Ye's heart sank, a strong sense of crisis enveloping him.

Almost simultaneously, a bone-chilling cold swept through the entire city. Countless people were awakened from their New Year's celebrations, only to find to their horror that a thick fog had risen around them.

The fog was cold and viscous, so thick that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Even more eerie was the faint whispers and mournful wails that could be heard within it, sending chills down your spine.

Inside the City God Temple, the gates of hell opened wider and wider.

Tens of thousands of grotesque and strangely shaped ghosts surged out from the cracks in the door like a floodgate opening!

They greedily inhaled the yang energy of the human world, emitting piercing, maniacal laughter, instantly engulfing the entire City God Temple, and then transforming into a black wave that rushed towards the thousands of households in Zhenhaiwei!

On the street, a child who had just been chasing and playing was suddenly dragged into the darkness by a pale, ghostly claw that emerged from the thick fog. The process was so fast that he didn't even have time to let out a complete scream.

Meanwhile, many people who came out of their homes to investigate the situation were met with a swarm of ghosts and monsters. Before they could react, they were torn to pieces and devoured.

In an instant, the entire city was shrouded in a gray fog, and screams echoed everywhere.

The once vibrant and beautiful Zhenhaiwei was transformed into a hellish realm of demons and monsters in just a few minutes!

Just as the entire city was plunged into despair, lights suddenly shone in several places throughout the city.

Above the Zhenhai General's Mansion, a phantom tiger roared to the sky, its sound waves scattering the surrounding ghosts and monsters; several ancient temples with flourishing incense also erected a powerful Buddhist light barrier, protecting the area.

At the same time, all the experts in the city with any strength noticed the crisis immediately and took immediate action.

An old Taoist priest, holding a peach wood sword, chanted incantations. With flashes of sword light, he slew several evil spirits and protected the people of the street as they retreated towards the nearest temple.

A burly, fat monk, now transformed into an angry Vajra, wielded a water-polished monk's staff, and with one blow, sent a vengeful ghost that was trying to rush into a house flying into the air.

But there were just too many ghosts and monsters, seemingly endless.

Therefore, even if these people are quite capable, it is still a drop in the ocean.

The old Taoist priest had just slain a starving ghost with his sword and hadn't even had time to catch his breath when a dark shadow suddenly fell from the roof beam, and a cold rope tightened around his neck.

It's a hanged ghost!

The old Taoist priest's eyes widened in disbelief as he struggled desperately, but several more ghosts rushed over, and he eventually fell silent.

The fat monk was also surrounded by dozens of fierce ghosts of various shapes. His protective golden light was torn apart by the ghost claws, his staff was dropped from his hand, and he was instantly overwhelmed by the ghost tide and devoured.

Individual bravery appears so fragile and powerless in the face of the catastrophic tide of ghosts.

Chen Ye's residence was naturally not spared either.

The biting chill swept through the entire mansion almost instantly.

The temperature in the once bustling courtyard suddenly dropped, the flames in the charcoal brazier shrank by half, and even the flames turned green.

"What...what's going on? It's so cold!"

Tie Dan rubbed his arms, his teeth chattering.

Chunyan was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she subconsciously moved closer to Chen Ye.

Chen Ye didn't speak; his face had darkened.

The inexplicable feeling of palpitation grew stronger and stronger. Looking up, he saw a thick, almost tangible gray fog seeping in from all directions, unable to be blocked by the courtyard walls, door cracks, or even the gaps in the floor tiles.

The mist carried sickening whispers and faint wails that pierced the ears and unsettled the soul.

"Ghost...there is a ghost!"

One of the timid brothers in the opera troupe finally saw the distorted figure emerging from the fog and let out a terrified scream.

Before the words were even finished, dozens of ghostly figures of various shapes had already seeped in from the walls and the ground.

Some of them were missing arms or legs, some had tongues dragging on the ground, and their eyes gleamed with a greedy green light as they stared intently at the people in the courtyard.

"what!"

Chunyan had never seen such a terrifying scene before, and she let out a shrill scream.

At the same time, a hanged ghost stretched out its long tongue and coiled it around Chunyan's neck.

Just then, Chen Ye made a move.

He took a step forward, lowered his waist and stood at attention, gathered his energy in his dantian, and shouted a single word at the swarming ghosts.

"Bah!"

A sharp shout, like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
An invisible, righteous energy emanated from him and spread out like a shockwave!
The air vibrated violently, and the few little devils at the forefront didn't even have time to scream before they were blasted away by the immense force, their souls scattered and turning into wisps of smoke on the spot.

The remaining ghosts were also sent flying by this force, each letting out a terrified scream. They dared not go forward again, but just lingered in the distance, watching Chen Ye with apprehension.

The entire courtyard fell silent.

Tie Dan, Chun Yan, and the others were all dumbfounded, their mouths agape in disbelief.

They knew Brother Chen was powerful, but they never expected him to be this powerful!
With just one roar, he scared away all the evil spirits in the courtyard.

Chen Ye's eyes were cold as he scanned the city shrouded in thick fog outside the courtyard.

Screams, cries, and pleas for help rose and fell, making the scene almost indistinguishable from hell.

He knew that if he stayed here, he would eventually be worn down by the endless stream of ghosts.

"Don't just stand there! If you want to live, stick close to me!"

Chen Ye's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable power.

As if waking from a dream, everyone quickly gathered behind him.

Without further hesitation, Chen Ye kicked open the tightly closed mansion gate, formed a sword-finger gesture in front of his chest, and began to chant in a deep voice.

The singing style was desolate and archaic, just like a passage from "The General's Command"!
With each line he sang, a sharp golden light, visible to the naked eye, burst forth from his fingertips, cleaving the attacking ghost in two.

As they sang and walked, golden light burst forth with each song, carving a bloody path through the streets where a hundred ghosts roamed!
Upon entering the alley, the sight that greeted Chen Ye made his heart sink.

There were many corpses lying haphazardly on the street, men and women, old and young, all in a gruesome state.

The once bustling Zhenhaiwei has been transformed into a feast for ghosts.

The government's response, however, was significantly slower.

This was because the timing of the surprise attack was extremely critical. It was New Year's Eve, a time when families were reunited, and most of the officers and soldiers were on holiday at home, leaving them no time to assemble.

Even if a few constables rushed into the streets with knives, they would only be throwing their lives away in vain against these ghosts that were impervious to swords and spears.

One of the constables leading the team even had his heart ripped out by a vengeful spirit that passed through the wall, killing him instantly.

Even worse, some officials who were enjoying themselves at home were killed by vengeful ghosts that came knocking on their doors.

Therefore, the entire command system of Zhenhaiwei was paralyzed in a short period of time.

Some people tried to drive or ride horses out of the city, only to be horrified to find that no matter which direction they ran, they would eventually return to the starting point in a bizarre way.

The thick fog had formed a huge barrier, completely isolating the entire city from the outside world.

Zhenhaiwei has become a true ghost town of death!

Chen Ye protected everyone as they walked and fought their way out of the alley and onto the main street.

Just then, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure not far away being chased by a ghost general riding a tall, dark horse, and in a perilous situation.

It's Ge Kun!
At this moment, Ge Kun was in a sorry state, his Taoist robe was torn to shreds, and there was blood on the corner of his mouth.

The ghost general who was chasing him was clad in rusty iron armor, wielding a gleaming horse-slaying saber, and exuded a murderous aura. He was clearly one of the strongest warriors in this ghost tide.

The Ghost General swung his blade down, and Ge Kun retreated hastily. The blade almost grazed his nose as it fell, leaving a trail of ghostly flames on the bluestone slab.

"Boss Chen!"

At this moment, Ge Kun also saw Chen Ye and couldn't help but shout for help.

Chen Ye did not hesitate at all.

"You all need to find somewhere to hide!"

He gave a low shout to Tie Dan and the others, and then activated his skill with a thought.

"The actors are about to make their grand entrance!"

In an instant, his long robe disappeared, replaced by a bright silver armor, a purple-gold crown to bind his hair, and a bright silver spear in his hand!

His entire demeanor changed accordingly, like Zhao Zilong of Changshan who single-handedly rescued his lord, displaying extreme majesty!
This is the power of the "Powdered Appearance" skill when it is upgraded to the maximum level; it can even interfere with reality to a limited extent.

The ghost general seemed to sense the threat as well. He abandoned Ge Kun, turned his horse around, and stared intently at Chen Ye with his empty eye sockets.

"kill!"

The Ghost General let out a hoarse roar, urging his Yin Horse to transform into a black wind, charging forward with immense force.

Chen Ye's eyes were calm. He flicked his silver spear, and the tip of the spear twirled into a beautiful spear flower.

"Well done!"

Then he charged towards the ghost general.

(End of this chapter)