Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 120 The Ultimate, Heavenly Official of the Pear Garden, Illusion Becomes Reality!!
Inside Guang Le Lou.

Guan Sihai, Deng Ming, and the remaining disciples of Qingchun Troupe were trapped back-to-back in the backstage dressing room.

These disciples were all from outside the city, or were simply homeless. So Guan Sihai and Deng Ming set up a banquet at Guang Le Lou to celebrate New Year's Eve together, but they never expected to encounter this incident.

At this moment, they used all the tables, chairs, and benches they could find to block the door, while Guan Sihai placed costumes and props with the power to ward off evil spirits throughout the room, which barely managed to block the invasion of the fog.

Even so, the eerie scratching and banging sounds from outside the door never stopped, and each sound grew louder and heavier than the last.

The door panel has developed numerous cracks and could be smashed open at any moment.

Despair was written all over everyone's faces.

"Master, are we...are we going to die here?" a young apprentice asked in a trembling voice, his voice trembling with tears.

Guan Sihai's face was deathly pale, his lips were tightly pressed together, and he did not speak. Instead, he gripped a dagger tightly, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged.

at this time.

"Master, Manager Deng! I'm back!"

A familiar voice came clearly from outside the door.

It's Chen Ye!
Guan Sihai was startled, thinking he was hallucinating.

But then came a ghostly scream from outside the door, followed by a deafening explosion, and then the frantic banging on the door stopped abruptly.

"Chen Ye?" Guan Sihai called out tentatively.

"It's me! Open the door!"

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, everyone in the dressing room erupted in cheers of relief.

Several people hurriedly moved the obstacles and opened the door.

Chen Ye stood there holding a gun, still smelling of gunpowder, with Qi Shihao and others behind him.

"Good lad, I knew you'd be alright!" Guan Sihai excitedly stepped forward and patted Chen Ye's shoulder heavily.

After a brief reminiscing, Chen Ye immediately explained his purpose.

Guan Sihai naturally offered his unconditional support, and then everyone, carrying gongs, drums, costumes, and everything else they needed, followed Chen Ye out of Guang Le Lou.

Relying on Chen Ye's illusionary intimidation and Qi Shihao's simple and brutal physical exorcism, the rescue team actually managed to fight their way in and out of the ghost city seven times.

They stormed into several trapped opera troupe strongholds, rescuing all the survivors from the Mingfeng Troupe, Anqing Troupe, and other troupes, and escorted them all the way back to the General's Temple.

For a time, the General's Temple was filled with half of the entire Zhenhaiwei Pear Garden.

Looking at the nearly one hundred surviving Peking Opera performers before him, Chen Ye knew that the most crucial step of the plan could begin.

He announced his chosen play to the public.

Conquer the Underworld!
The elderly Peking Opera performers present all changed their expressions upon hearing this name.

This is an extremely ancient Nuo opera, which tells the story of the gods of the underworld opening up Yinshan Mountain, setting up the Gate of Hell, and delivering all ghosts to the afterlife.

The plays themselves contain powerful forces for exorcising evil spirits, suppressing malevolent forces, and guiding people to salvation.

Therefore, using this play to deal with the ghosts that fill the city is absolutely perfect.

"Gentlemen!" Chen Ye's voice rang in everyone's ears, "Time is running out. That thing in the City God Temple could descend at any moment, so we have no way out. This battle is a fight to the death!"

"Everyone, get to work now and temporarily set up a stage in the square in front of the temple!"

The will to survive ignited everyone's passion.

The surviving people also spontaneously sprang into action, moving planks and building platforms.

Meanwhile, the actors and performers in the Peking Opera world began to tidy up their costumes, tune their instruments, and perform their respective duties.

On the General's Temple Square, a simple yet solemn stage was built at an astonishing speed thanks to everyone's concerted efforts.

Behind the stage.

Guan Sihai personally took up his brush, dipped it in the richest oil paint, and sketched Chen Ye's face.

He painted a judge of the underworld who held the power of life and death and was impartial and incorruptible.

Every stroke of the pen embodies Guan Sihai's full spirit and energy.

He didn't speak, and neither did Chen Ye. The two remained silent, but everything was understood without words.

The fear on the faces of the other performers around them, who were also getting ready for makeup, had faded, replaced by a resolute determination.

Everyone knew that what was about to happen was not a play.

It is the life of all of them.

As the last stroke was made, the judge's face took shape, and a chilling and majestic aura emanated from Chen Ye.

He slowly got up and walked towards the stage.

Inside the temple, nearly a thousand survivors held their breath, their eyes fixed on Chen Ye, their gazes filled with hope.

Outside the temple, there were endless howls of ghosts and swirling vortexes of ghostly energy reaching the sky.

Chen Ye stood in the center of the stage, with his colleagues from the entire Peking Opera troupe behind him and the expectations of the people in front of him.

He took a deep breath.

when!
A crisp gong rang out, shattering the deathly silence of the night and heralding the start of the war between humans and ghosts.

The grand show begins!
Chen Ye suddenly looked up, opened his mouth, and then his desolate, majestic singing voice, which contained boundless divine power, resounded throughout the General's Temple and quickly spread outwards.

"By imperial decree, open Yin Mountain, judge good and evil, and establish the cycle of reincarnation—!"

The moment the voice left his mouth, the talent of the Mirage Court Musician within him was activated to its fullest extent.

The strong will to survive among the thousands of survivors in the General's Temple, the burning spirit of the hundreds of Peking Opera performers, and the loyalty and righteousness accumulated in the General's Temple itself for a hundred years!
At this moment, his singing voice stirred, harmonized, and merged the three immense and unparalleled forces into one!
boom!
The golden light curtain above the General's Temple shone brightly, even diluting the thick, impenetrable gray mist somewhat.

At the same time, upon hearing this chant, the countless ghosts that were screaming madly all let out a shriek of extreme pain.

Witnessing this scene, a thought suddenly flashed through Lu Jinghong's mind.

One song, and even ghosts and gods are terrified!
Then another gong sounded, and in an instant, the roaring, frenzied ghosts outside the temple ceased their cacophony.

Whether it was the little ghosts wandering the streets and alleys or the fierce ghosts entrenched on the eaves, they all turned their heads in unison, pointing their empty eye sockets at the small stage in front of the General's Temple.

At the same time, the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments rose up, mournful and poignant, like the lament of soul-snatching chains dragging along the road to the underworld.

Chen Ye, playing the judge, stands in the center of the stage, and his singing begins again.

"In the palace, Qin Guang decides life and death; before the Mirror of Retribution, no wronged souls remain!"

He was no longer singing opera lyrics, but rather the principles of karma and reincarnation.

And this play, through the combined efforts of several parties, resonated deep within the spirit of every ghost.

Then, almost miraculously, the endless tide of ghosts became the most focused audience of the play.

The stories in the plays began to awaken memories that had been buried by resentment.

The ghost of a scholar who was framed by villains and died unjustly has two lines of black blood tears flowing from his empty eye sockets.

A soldier's ghost, who died on the battlefield but whose obsession remained, slowly loosened his grip on the broken weapon, letting it fall to the ground.

"The Second Hall judges good and evil through the Chu River; once you enter this gate, cease all complaints!"

Those souls who died of old age but were swept into the ghost tide because of a slight resentment in their hearts were the first to have their resentment dissipate, their ferocious forms becoming peaceful, and they transformed into semi-transparent phantoms.

"The three emperors of the Song Dynasty weighed merits and demerits, and good and evil will eventually be rewarded!"

Meanwhile, the malevolent spirits who committed evil deeds in life and became vengeful ghosts after death let out painful howls in the singing.

The overwhelming resentment emanating from them was like black snow scorched by the blazing sun, forcibly stripped away and purified!
The black ghost tide is visibly losing its ferocity.

The twisted limbs returned to their original state, and countless ghosts transformed from monsters back to their former appearances.

When Chen Ye sang the Ten Courts of Hell, determining one's next life, the resentment in the entire Zhenhaiwei seemed to be completely wiped away by an invisible hand.

Tens of thousands of converted souls transformed into countless points of light, rising slowly into the sky like billions of fireflies, adorning the dark sky with a dreamlike beauty.

The scene was solemn and sacred, yet tinged with an indescribable sense of sorrow.

However, the Taoist priest Ku Rong in the City God Temple looked up at the rain of light filling the sky, and instead of being alarmed, he burst into a maniacal laugh.

"Hahahaha...Good! What a brilliant use of theatrical manipulation to communicate with the gods! What a brilliant attack on the underworld!"

He didn't care at all about these little devils being converted. In his view, they were just appetizers before the main course, paving the way for the arrival of that great demon.

He had been planning for this day for an unknown amount of time, even to the point of turning himself into this inhuman, ghost-like state.

Seeing that the great undertaking was about to succeed, how could he not be excited?

"Come on, I've prepared the best food for you!"

He opened his arms as if welcoming a deity.

The moment the words left his mouth, the earth began to tremble violently like never before!
Rumble——!
Above the ruins of the City God Temple, a huge vortex of ghostly energy spun wildly, and at the center of the vortex, a huge shadow was slowly rising from the ground!
A terrifying aura descended, freezing even the soul.

"Roar--!"

A roar that seemed otherworldly came from the shadows.

Wherever the sound waves passed, the entire Zhenhaiwei trembled, and the tiles of countless houses were shattered.

Then a huge, pitch-black ghost hand suddenly emerged from the vortex of ghostly energy and tore it apart.

Then a terrifying ghost, the size of a small mountain, fully appeared in the world.

It had a blue face and fangs, and its eyes were like two scarlet blood moons. It was surrounded by endless black energy. People with weak wills could easily fall into endless madness just by looking at it.

At the same time, the Daoist Ku Rong laughed wildly, and in a flash, he appeared on the shoulder of this ghostly creature, then looked down at the city below as if standing on a mountain peak.

"Let's see what true power is!"

At that moment, several ancient temples and Taoist monasteries in the city, some with a history of over a thousand years, simultaneously burst forth with dazzling light.

"Amitabha!"

"Infinite Heavenly Lord!"

Buddhist chants and Taoist incantations resounded through the sky, and a huge swastika Buddhist seal and a blue sword light soared into the air, bombarding the ghostly creature.

This was the last stand of the hidden cultivators in the city! However, upon seeing this, the ghost opened its huge mouth impatiently and let out a deep, earth-shaking roar.

Wherever the sound waves passed, the swastika Buddhist seal shattered on the spot!

The cyan sword light shattered inch by inch!

On several ancient temples and Taoist monasteries, the scriptures that had just been written in cinnabar were instantly burned out. The light lasted only a few moments before it was extinguished with a roar and never heard again.

Then, Daoist Kurong raised his hand and pointed to the General's Temple in the distance, "Let's go over there."

Upon hearing this, the ghost strode toward the General's Temple. Its body was so enormous that the streets and houses beneath its feet seemed like toys, collapsing under its weight.

Upon arriving at the General's Temple, the ghost coldly glanced at the terrified crowd inside the light screen, then raised its giant hand and slammed it down.

At the top of the General's Temple, the old abbot, his hair and beard white, saw this and his eyes widened in fury. He roared, "The Great General is here! You demon, dare not be so insolent!"

After he finished speaking, a striped tiger leaped out from above his head and roared as it entered the golden protective shield!

That was formed from his life's cultivation, and it was his final trump card.

The golden shield shone brightly.

boom--!
The fist collided violently with the shield.

After a deafening roar, the shield took the punch head-on.

But the next second, the golden light screen was covered with spiderweb-like cracks, as if it would collapse completely at any moment.

As for the old abbot on the temple roof, he was blasted backward by the terrifying recoil force, his body shattering into pieces in mid-air, and he died on the spot.

After this attack, everyone present with cultivation level had a sudden realization.

That was the general giving everyone a thought with his last bit of strength.

At this point, he was no longer able to maintain the operation of the light screen, and this was the final moment. So, in order to save everyone, he had no choice but to embark on the path of sacrificing his life.

It means that as long as you are willing, you can put your life's cultivation and essence into this light screen to do your part.

Of course, this is all voluntary.

The general did not insist, but simply told everyone that such a road existed.

These people naturally include all the Peking Opera performers.

Everyone was startled, then exchanged glances and saw the solemnity on each other's faces.

The fact that the general had no choice but to choose this path shows just how critical the situation had become.

At this moment, the ghost seemed to be enraged by this insignificant resistance and raised its hand again.

Even before the giant hand arrived, the terrifying pressure was already unbearable for the musicians on the stage.

The old man playing the erhu had his fingers cut by the strings, and they were bleeding profusely.

The man banging the drum had long since broken drumsticks, his hands trembling with pain, yet he still pounded the drumhead with his fists, his flesh and blood producing a muffled, defiant sound.

Several martial arts actors playing the role of the road-clearing generals sang while coughing up blood. The blood stained the paint on their faces and soaked through their costumes, but their singing did not tremble at all, and their eyes were full of determination.

Chen Ye was under immense pressure.

He felt as if his internal organs were burning, his throat was filled with the taste of blood, and every word seemed to be torn out of his flesh and blood.

But he can't stop.

He knew that he was everyone's last hope.

Just at this critical moment, a loud roar came from behind.

"Mr. Chen, I'm here to help you!"

He is the leader of the Mingfeng Class!
With a resolute expression, he bit his tongue, transforming his life's cultivation into a stream of light, which he forcefully poured into the light screen above his head.

After doing all this, his tall body collapsed to the ground instantly, his fate unknown.

Upon seeing this, the leader of the Anqing troupe burst into laughter: "Old man, although we've been rivals for half our lives, I have to admit you're a real man after what happened today!"

Having said that, he also sacrificed his life to help, transforming into a second stream of light!
"Count me in!"

"And I!"

In an instant, one after another, the leaders and famous actors of all the surviving opera troupes stepped forward.

In the most heroic way, they transformed their life's cultivation into fuel and poured it into this light screen.

As the pressure eased, Chen Ye felt a surge of immense power returning to his body, which was on the verge of collapse.

That was the general's divine sense secretly helping him, transferring a portion of his power to him.

His eyes were getting hotter and hotter.

Because he saw that these colleagues, who would usually argue fiercely over a single line of singing or a single gesture, were now unhesitatingly giving their all for Zhenhaiwei.

However, this was still a drop in the ocean. Even with the combined power of dozens of famous Peking Opera performers' lifelong cultivation, it only managed to stabilize the cracked golden light screen slightly.

Just then, a pair of warm and strong hands gently pressed on his back.

"My disciple, don't panic, your master is here to help you."

Chen Ye turned around and saw that Guan Sihai's body was emitting a soft white light. The light was pure and warm, unlike the explosive light of burning blood essence. It was more like burning the entire soul!
"Master, no!" Chen Ye cried out in alarm, trying to stop him, but found that he couldn't move at all.

“Foolish apprentice, the best end for an actor is to take his final bow on the stage.”

Guan Sihai's voice was calm and warm, with a gratified smile on his face.

As he spoke, his body aged at a visible rate; his hair turned from gray to snow-white, his skin loosened, and his figure became hunched, but the smile on his face grew ever brighter.

"The best thing I ever did in my life was to go out in the snow that morning and take you as my apprentice."

"I have accomplished nothing in Guan Sihai. I thought I would live a life of mediocrity and failure. I never expected that in my old age, I would be able to personally raise such a wonderful person as you. It can be said that the ancestors have taken pity on me, allowing me to die without regrets."

“So you,” he looked at Chen Ye, his eyes full of expectation and tenderness, “are the best performance I’ve ever given in my life.”

As he finished speaking, his hand, which had been pressing on Chen Ye's back, fell limply to his sides, and his body slowly collapsed onto the stage, where he fell silent.

Chen Ye felt the warmth behind him completely disappear, and a heart-wrenching pain almost made him collapse on the spot.

But he didn't stop.

With tears in his eyes, he poured all his grief, indignation, and resentment into his singing.

Just then, Tie Dan, his face covered in blood, suddenly jumped onto the stage.

He looked at Chen Ye, grinned, but his eyes were full of tears.

"Chen Ye, I know you are the real Yu Ji and I am the fake Overlord, but today I will act as domineering as the real Overlord!"

After saying that, Tie Dan suddenly picked up the broken half of the flagpole from the ground and roared out a line from the opera "Farewell My Concubine".

"Strengthening the mountains and overwhelming the world!"

With a roar, he slammed the flagpole into the stage beneath his feet. All his passion and strength transformed into a crimson pillar of light that shot into the sky and fiercely poured into the golden light protecting the temple, which was on the verge of shattering.

Then his body fell heavily to the ground like a mountain of gold and a pillar of jade collapsing.

Chen Ye's tears finally flowed uncontrollably, mixing with the face paint and resembling two lines of bloody tears.

But all these sacrifices only provided temporary relief.

boom--!
The golden light curtain of the General's Temple shattered completely under the giant hand of the ghost, letting out a final lament.

The last glimmer of light in the world went out.

Darkness and deathly silence enveloped everything.

The only source of light was Chen Ye in the center of the stage, whose body glowed with the light gathered from the sacrifices of the crowd, becoming a flickering candle in this ghostly realm.

"Hahaha...It's over!"

On the ghost's shoulder, the withered and flourishing Taoist laughed triumphantly.

"Mr. Chen, I have to admit that your performance was indeed very well done, but it was still like a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

"And if I kill you and devour the souls of all living beings in this city, I can attain immortality and ascend to heaven!"

"So you can say you died a worthy death, hahahahaha." The laughter of the withered and flourishing Taoist grew even more rampant, and at the same time he gave his final order.

"kill him!"

The giant hand slammed down once more.

This time there were no more obstacles.

Before the palm even landed, the terrifying force of the palm strike made the entire stage creak and groan, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

The survivors below the stage were already paralyzed with fear by the oppressive aura, their faces blank and lifeless.

ended.

everything is over.

Amidst this extreme grief, anger, and despair, Chen Ye's heart entered a state of unprecedented clarity.

The last images of his master, Tie Dan, the head of the Mingfeng Troupe, the head of the Anqing Troupe... flashed through his mind one by one.

Their sacrifices, their entrustment, their expectations...

The shadow of the giant hand had completely enveloped him, and the aura of death was overwhelming.

At that very moment, a screen of light burning with golden flames suddenly appeared before Chen Ye's eyes.

[My Mirage Court Musician skill has reached its maximum level. Should I change jobs?]

Yes!
Chen Ye roared inwardly with all his might.

[Profession Advancement to the Ultimate Profession—The Heavenly Official of the Pear Garden!]

[The Heavenly Official of the Pear Garden: Heaven and earth are the stage, all living beings are the audience, and all laws are the script. Singing, reciting, acting, and acrobatics—words become law. Entering the stage with divine grace, illusion becomes reality.]

[Talent: Illusion Becomes Reality - All your theatrical performances, after consuming sufficient willpower, can temporarily transform illusions into reality, turning jokes into decrees, and making the play real!]

(End of this chapter)