The invincible female ghost is a bit love-struck.

Chapter 287 The main cave is closed, the outer cave is not yet finished.

Lu Yuan did not immediately step into that chest cavity.

Inside the shadowy figure's open chest, layers of stone walls stretched out, like an inverted corridor.

White lamps hung on both sides, their light unwavering, yet illuminating each stele clearly.

"father."

"Voice."

"willing."

Three other stone tablets were obscured by the black mist, with only black water seeping from their corners visible.

At the deepest point, there is an upside-down well.

The wellhead faces downwards, and the well rim is densely covered with carvings of eyes.

Ah Sheng's voice came from that well.

"Don't come in."

Lu Yuan glanced at the well.

"You just said, 'Don't let it swallow the word "life."'"

"But now you're telling us not to come in."

The well was quiet for a moment.

"I don't know which statement is true."

"The sounds here are no longer entirely yours."

Lu Yuandao.

"Just tell me how to get past the rest of the tombstones."

"They are in the main cave."

"Where is the one guarding the monument?"

"The person guarding the monument is a scoundrel."

"What is it?"

Ah Sheng's voice grew softer and softer.

"It's every thought you left behind after you came in."

Lu Yuan's brows twitched slightly.

Wang Chengan, standing behind him, was stunned.

"Can thoughts alone guard a monument?"

"This is not an ordinary evil god," Lu Yuandao said. "It takes people's names and their thoughts."

"When people are afraid, there is a monument to fear."

"When people hesitate, doubt arises."

"When people want to live, there are memorial tablets."

"These three steles have already taken shape."

The remaining three pieces are hidden in people's hearts.

Zhou Heng gripped the short knife tightly.

"Then how are we supposed to get in?"

"Guard your heart."

Lu Yuan picked up three copper coins from the ground and handed them to Xu Erxiao, Wang Chengan, and Zhou Heng respectively.

"Hold it under your tongue."

The three of them were taken aback.

"What are you doing?"

"Suppressing the sound."

Lu Yuan explained, "When people travel at night and come to a graveyard, the elders will have children put copper coins in their mouths, not to ward off ghosts, but to shut their mouths."

"Evil spirits enter the body through the sound of one's voice, starting with one's response. Copper coins, having been touched by the yang energy of the hands and the earth, can suppress the root of the tongue."

"How long should I hold it in?"

"Until we get out."

Xu Erxiao put the copper coin in his mouth and mumbled, "Then how can I speak?"

"Use gestures."

After Lu Yuan finished speaking, he raised his right hand, pressed his thumb against his ring finger, tucked his little finger inward, and straightened his index and middle fingers, pointing towards the stone corridor inside his chest cavity.

"Two junior officers guard the left, Cheng'an guards the right, and Zhou Heng covers the rear."

"Look at the lamp through the mirror."

"Viewing the Stele at Qinghe".

"I'll walk in the middle."

Lin Zhaoxuan nodded and wrapped the ink line around his wrist.

Song Qinghe raised the last remaining oil lamp. The wick had shortened, but the flame was brighter than before.

The group stepped into the shadowy figure's chest cavity.

The stone surface underfoot was warm, as if I were stepping on the ribs of some living creature.

As soon as I took my first step, the dark figure behind me closed its chest.

The birch forest, grottoes, and overhanging cliffs outside have all disappeared.

Only a narrow stone corridor remains in front and back.

White lights hang on both sides of the stone corridor.

Under the first lamp stands a stone tablet.

The inscription on the monument contains only one word: "Sound".

The words looked freshly written, with ink still dripping down.

As the light shone, a sigh suddenly came from behind the stone tablet.

That sigh was exactly the same as Lu Yuan's.

Then it was Wang Cheng'an's voice again.

"Brother Lu, let's go back."

Xu Erxiao's finger twitched.

Lu Yuan raised his left hand, making a stop gesture.

The voice continued, "There is no end in these mountains."

"If we go any further, we'll all die."

"Those people are beyond our ability to save."

"What does it matter to us whether the evil god wakes up or not?"

"There's still grain, a heated brick bed, and wine outside."

"Let's go back."

The noise grew louder and louder, like the corridor was packed with people.

They stopped speaking and instead emitted soft sobs and arguments.

Someone is calling for help.

Someone is swearing.

Some people said they were tricked into going into the mountains.

Some people said they were just passing by.

Song Qinghe whispered, "The sound tablet is where the last words the dead hear."

Lu Yuan nodded.

"It doesn't use its voice to scare people; it uses its voice to make people speak for it."

He untied a red cloth from his waist, cut off a small piece, and stuffed it into his ear.

"It's not about plugging the ears, it's about leaving a small gap."

Wang Chengan looked at him, puzzled.

Lu Yuan pointed to the back of his tongue and made a "listen" gesture.

"Don't close your ears completely."

"If you shut it all off, you won't be able to hear your companions."

"Leave only a slit open, to discern the true voice."

Lin Zhaoxuan already understood.

He took a thin thread from the ink line, wrapped it behind his left ear, and tucked the end of the thread into his collar.

"Use the string to record the true sound," he said. "When someone calls me, first listen to whether the string moves."

"right."

Lu Yuandao said, "When a living person's voice falls on someone, their breath moves. The voice inside the tombstone is just a sound, it doesn't have any breath."

The group continued on their way.

As we approached the monument, the white light suddenly went out.

Mouths emerged from the surface of the monument.

These mouths grow on the rocks, varying in size. Some resemble babies, others old people, and some have rotten lips, yet they still open and close.

"Lu Yuan."

One of the mouths shouted.

"Come here."

Lu Yuan did not respond.

The mouth called out again, "Lu Yuan, your master is here."

Xu Erxiao suddenly looked at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan's expression remained unchanged. He raised his right hand and cast a "sealing spell" forward.

Pinch your index finger with your thumb, and tap your ring finger with your middle finger, with your palm facing outwards.

"The mouth is the gateway, the voice is the passerby."

"A sound without breath cannot enter the realm of living beings."

"Words without roots, without names."

"The mouths within the stone are temporarily sealed for today."

"seal up!"

As the hand gesture was made, the mouths on the stone tablet all closed.

But a loud bang came from behind the stone tablet.

A hand emerges from behind the monument, its five fingers pitch black, with a string of copper bells hanging from its knuckles.

The hand had no arm, only a piece of bone protruding from the monument.

The copper bell rings even without wind.

As soon as the bell rang, everyone felt a tightness in their chests.

Lu Yuan sensed something was wrong and immediately said, "Hold your breath for three breaths!"

Everyone did as instructed.

The bell rang three times.

Each sound felt like something was pulling out of my chest.

As the third sound rang out, the flame of the oil lamp in Song Qinghe's hand suddenly veered outward.

A wisp of black smoke drifted from her mouth.

Lu Yuan raised his sword and slashed the wisp of black smoke in two.

The black smoke landed and condensed into a small human figure.

It had no face, but it mimicked Song Qinghe's movements, holding a lamp in its hand.

"The sound of the monument is not afraid of being heard."

Lu Yuandao.

"What I'm afraid of is that some people will stop responding."

He walked toward the black hand with the bell hanging from it.

The black hand suddenly swung the copper bell, and the bell rang again.

Lu Yuan did not hold his breath.

He raised his hand, made a hand seal, pressed his thumb against the tip of his middle finger, and brought his index and middle fingers together, placing them in front of his lips.

This is the "Silence Technique".

"The heavens do not speak, yet thunder roars; the earth does not speak, yet mountains move."

"Man guards his heart without speaking, while ghosts lose their way without speaking."

"Today, we use silence as a sword and stillness as a seal."

"A bell has no tongue, a monument has no mouth."

"Break!"

Lu Yuan slammed his palm on the stone tablet.

No sound.

However, all the copper bells shattered at the same time.

The black hand suddenly retracted behind the monument.

The character "声" (sound) on the surface of the stone tablet is recessed inward, as if it had been punched through.

A black crack extends from the middle of the characters to the base of the monument.

Lin Zhaoxuan rushed forward, straightened the ink line, and wrapped it horizontally around the stone tablet.

"Senior Brother Lu, the monument is about to move!"

"Don't let it fall over."

Lu Yuan used the tip of his knife to pry open a thin crack at the bottom of the monument.

A pale tongue was stuffed into the crevice.

The tongue was tied up with red thread, and yellow paper was stuck to the thread.

The yellow paper had three words written on it: "Speak for God."

Lu Yuan tore off the yellow paper, but did not touch his tongue.

He picked off the red lines around his tongue one by one, and then drew a small square on the ground with cinnabar.

"The tongue returns to the mouth, and the voice returns to the throat."

"The living do not speak for the ghosts, and the dead do not speak for the people."

"This tongue comes from somewhere and goes back there."

After saying that, he stuck his tongue into the box.

After the tongue landed, it immediately turned into a wisp of black smoke and disappeared into the cracks of the stone corridor.

The inscription on the monument has been completely removed.

At the same time, a blood-red lamp lit up at the end of the stone corridor.

A second stone tablet stands under the lamp.

The inscription on the monument reads: "Wish".

Song Qinghe stared at the monument.

"Is this the most difficult part?"

"Having a wish isn't difficult," Lu Yuandao said. "What's difficult is when people don't acknowledge that they have a wish."

As they approached the monument, many doors suddenly appeared on both sides of the stone corridor.

Each door had no nameplate; only different lights shone through the cracks in the doors.

There is white light.

It emits a red glow.

It has a golden glow.

There was also a door through which a warm fire shone.

"Don't come in," Lu Yuan said.

A voice came from behind the door: "Open the door and your wish will come true."

What do you want?

"I need money."

"We want power."

"To live a long life."

"I wish my family safety."

"I want all my enemies to die."

"To stop suffering."

Every sound landed precisely in people's hearts.

Xu Erxiao's foot had already moved half an inch toward a door.

Lu Yuan blocked him with his scabbard.

"The wishing monument is not for you to make a wish."

"It makes you acknowledge that your wishes can make decisions for you."

Wang Chengan stared at a golden door.

Behind the door were piles of silver dollars and grain sacks.

He swallowed hard.

"Can that thing make wishes come true?"

"able."

Lu Yuandao.

"But it will first take away the most human-like part of your desires."

"You seek wealth, and it takes away your sense of shame."

"You beg for life, and it takes away your mercy."

"You seek revenge, and it takes away your fear."

"When the wish is finally fulfilled, the person is no longer a person."

The blood lamp suddenly lit up for a moment.

A voice came from behind the door: "Lu Yuan, don't you have any wishes?"

Lu Yuan stopped.

What do you want?

"I'm asking you."

"I can't get the answer from you, you know that yourself."

The character "愿" (wish) under the blood lamp began to deform, eventually turning into a figure standing by the black well.

The man held a knife in his hand, and five people stood at his feet.

Behind them was a collapsed mountain.

The voice from behind the door continued, "You want everyone to get out alive."

"You want to bring the child out of the well."

"You want the evil god to never wake up."

"This is your wish."

Lu Yuan looked at the surface of the monument.

"Yes."

No one expected him to admit it.

The flames of the blood lamp suddenly shot up high.

From the darkness behind the door, a giant hand reached out, holding a white fruit in its palm.

"Then eat it."

""

"Your wish will be fulfilled."

Xu Erxiao cried out urgently, "Brother Lu!"

Lu Yuan did not back down.

He took a step toward the hand.

"And then what happens when your wish comes true?"

"You will all live."

"Where are the people outside the mountains?"

'

"It has nothing to do with me."

"Where is the child in the well?"

"He will become the new door."

"That doesn't mean everyone is alive."

Lu Yuan raised his knife, the tip pointing at the ginkgo fruit.

"You won't even grant your wishes in their entirety, so what do you expect me to offer you?"

He slashed down with his sword.

When the ginkgo nuts split open, what flowed out was not juice, but a thick stream of black blood.

After the blood hit the ground, all the doors opened simultaneously.

Behind the door, there was no longer an alluring sight, but rather rows of altars filled with corpses.

Among the skeletons stood many wooden plaques stripped of their names.

Each wooden plaque bears the same word: "Wish".

Song Qinghe understood.

"It invites all those who make wishes into the house and uses their wishes to nourish the monument."

"The roots of the monument are in these wooden plaques."

"Then peel it by the roots."

Lu Yuan nodded.

He plunged the knife into the ground and formed the "Dispersing Wish Incantation" with both hands.

Place your palms together, leaving a three-inch gap between them. Pinch your middle finger with your left thumb and your ring finger with your right thumb, then separate your palms outwards.

"May this wish arise in the heart, not on a monument."

"Those who seek survival will be given life, those who seek wealth will be given wealth, and those who seek fame will be given fame."

"If our wishes are not fulfilled, let us each return to our original intentions."

"Evil gods cannot take form through wishes."

"Disperse!"

The skeletons behind the door shuddered simultaneously.

The black lines on the wooden signs were broken.

Many faint white lights rose from the wooden sign, like distant lights on a snowy night.

They did not enter the people's bodies, but instead passed through the stone corridor and dispersed out of the mountain.

The word "wishes" on the monument is fading more and more.

The flame in the blood lamp suddenly shrank into a thin line, piercing straight at Song Qinghe's brow.

Lu Yuan raised his sword to block.

The blade struck the blood with a crisp sound.

The blood didn't dissipate; instead, it crawled along the blade towards Lu Yuan's wrist.

Song Qinghe suddenly spoke up: "Let me do it."

"Don't move."

"It's coming for me."

"May this monument be a lamp lit by you, not a person."

Song Qinghe raised the oil lamp.

Only a little dark red oil remained in the lamp.

She looked at the bloodline and suddenly pulled out the wick.

The lights went out.

The bloodline, having lost its guiding light, suddenly veered off course, passing through Lu Yuan's shoulder and piercing the wish monument.

The character "愿" (wish) on the surface of the stone tablet suddenly shattered.

The oil lamp in Song Qinghe's hand shattered into two pieces.

"The lights are off."

she said.

"But the monument is now empty."

"6

Lu Yuan nodded.

"Well done."

A low, mournful cry came from behind the monument.

That wasn't just one person's sigh, but the sigh of many who had made wishes, as they simultaneously let go of their obsessions.

The monument to the voice and the monument to the wish were both emptied, and all the white lights in the stone corridor went out one after another.

The long corridor inside the shadowy figure's chest cavity began to collapse.

The stone tablets on the cliff face fell off one by one, revealing the thick, black root behind them.

The fetal base is covered with eyes.

Black liquid was flowing from every eye.

Lu Yuan looked into the deepest part.

There are also three steles.

"Surname, voice, and wish are all gone."

"The remaining father, family, shadow, and bones have been stripped away."

"What are the last three pieces?"

Zhou Heng asked.

Lu Yuan looked up.

The three steles that had been shrouded in black mist finally came into view.

The inscription on the stele, from left to right, reads: "Name".

"born."

"die."

Xu Erxiao whispered, "Why are there three more pieces?"

"Those in front are just steles that the evil gods used to please their eyes," Lu Yuan said. "These three are the roots of the main cave."

"Fame is the door, life is the lock, and death is the road."

"Ah Sheng is trapped inside the Life Stele."

"The nameplate governs entry and exit."

"The Death Stele leads to the underworld path outside the mountain."

"To see the evil god, you must first pass through these three places."

The shadowy figure's chest cavity was completely ruptured.

The black membrane beneath everyone's feet collapsed downwards.

A stone bridge extends from the depths of the grotto, its surface only three feet wide, beneath which churns black water.

At the end of the bridge stands a stone door without a door panel.

Behind the door is the actual wellhead of the Daojing (倒井).

Ah Sheng's face appeared in the well water.

This time, he no longer acted like a seven or eight-year-old child.

His face was half clear, half covered by black water.

"Lu Yuan."

"Crossing the famous bridge."

"But don't leave your name."

"Then how do we get there?" Wang Chengan asked.

Ah Sheng did not answer.

Suddenly, many white paper figures emerged from the black water on both sides of the stone bridge.

The paper figures stood on the water, each holding a piece of yellow paper in their hands.

Various names were written on the yellow paper.

They said in unison, "State your names."

"State your name."

"State your name."

Lu Yuan took his first step onto the stone bridge.

A black character immediately appeared on the bridge surface: "Lu".

The second step.

"Far."

In the third step, no more words appeared on the bridge surface; instead, a patch of unfamiliar symbols emerged.

It's like someone wanting to continue writing his name but not being able to find the right strokes.

Lu Yuan stopped.

The paper figures all looked up.

"Your name is incomplete."

"Finish it."

"After patching it up, we can cross the bridge."

Wang Chengan whispered, "Brother Lu, don't believe it."

Lu Yuan took the black wooden plaque from his waist.

The cracks on the wooden sign have closed, leaving only a blank groove on the surface.

He used the tip of his knife to carve the characters "Lu Yuan" into the groove.

After carving, place the wooden sign on the bridge surface.

"His fame ends here."

"The name is not extended, and no characters are added."

"Who I am is not determined by inscriptions on monuments; where I go is not determined by wells."

"Those who cross famous bridges leave their names behind."

"We don't accept payments on the bridge!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the characters "陆" (Lu) and "远" (Yuan) on the bridge surface lit up simultaneously.

It then turned into two sparks and fell back onto the wooden sign.

The paper figures let out a shriek and rushed towards Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan did not swing his sword, but instead stepped forward.

"Don't hit the paper doll," he said.

"They are just mouths asking for names."

"Strike them, and your name will return to the monument."

He walked through the paper figures.

With each step he took, a piece of yellow paper was pasted onto his body.

The first one was stuck on my shoulder and it said "Guest".

The second one was pasted on my chest and read "Sacrifice".

The third one was pasted on the back, with the word "eye" written on it.

Lu Yuan let the yellow paper stick on without reaching out to tear it off.

When he reached the middle of the bridge, he suddenly turned around and pasted the three yellow papers he had on his body onto the bridge railing.

"The Road Home for Travelers".

"Return to the altar for sacrifice."

"Eyes return to the mountains."

Three pieces of yellow paper caught fire at the same time.

The paper figures' voices gradually faded.

Lu Yuan turned around and continued forward.

Xu Erxiao, Wang Chengan, Lin Zhaoxuan, Song Qinghe, and Zhou Heng stepped onto the famous bridge in turn.

They did not give their names, but instead covered their tongues with hand gestures and walked forward with their heads down.

Everyone had a yellow piece of paper stuck to their body.

The character on Xu Erxiao's shoulder is "徒".

The character on Wang Chengan's chest is "帐".

Behind Lin Zhaoxuan is a "door".

The thing on Song Qinghe's shoulder is a "lamp".

The object beneath Zhou Heng's feet is the "guest".

Lu Yuan instructed them to paste the entire thing onto the bridge railing exactly as it was.

Six sheets of yellow paper are connected in a line.

The stone bridge suddenly lit up with a faint red light.

The black water churned beneath the bridge, and a huge black face suddenly emerged from the water.

"Leave no name, leave your life."

The black water surged up into huge waves, rushing towards the stone bridge.

Lu Yuan turned around and formed the "Water Suppression Technique" with both hands.

Left palm down, right hand sword gesture pressed down on left wrist.

"Water has its source, and waves have their beginning."

"Water in a well should not overflow its edge."

"Those who seek evil in the mountains should not cross the stone bridge."

"Use the bridge as the boundary, and the name as the nail."

"Stop the water!"

The black waves stopped under the bridge.

Only the waves stopped; beneath the black water, something enormous was swimming along the bottom of the bridge.

Its back arches in sections, and each section has a stone tablet growing on it.

"The Death Stele," Ah Sheng said from inside the well.

"It needs to pass under the bridge."

Lu Yuan looked down.

"The death monument is not for guarding the dead."

"It's guarding a dead end."

"Once it passes under the bridge, we'll be led into a dead end and never be able to get back out of the mountains."

Zhou Heng said, "Then kill it."

"There's water under the bridge, and the knife isn't long enough."

Lu Yuan took the broken mirror off his waist.

The broken mirror was only half left, and its surface was covered with cracks.

He placed the broken mirror in the center of the bridge, with the mirror facing down.

"A mirror reflects the bottom of the water."

"Where there is form at the bottom of the water, there is a place."

"Zhaoxuan, give me the ink line."

Lin Zhaoxuan handed over the ink line.

Lu Yuan tied one end of the ink line to the broken mirror and the other end around his wrist. Then he stood firmly on the bridge with his feet apart.

"This line doesn't seek the soul, it only seeks the form."

"This mirror does not reflect the face, but only the roots."

"If something underwater has a monument, then it must have a place to rest."

"rise!"

Lu Yuan abruptly hung up the line.

The black water beneath the shattered mirror suddenly exploded.

A huge, dark object was forcibly pulled halfway out from under the bridge.

It looks like a snake, or a headless dragon.

Three stone tablets were embedded in his body, inscribed with the words "Death," "Burial," and "Return."

Each stele was wrapped with black rootlets.

As soon as the giant creature emerged from the water, it opened its massive mouth toward Lu Yuan.

There were no teeth in its mouth, only a stone staircase leading downwards.

At the end of the stone steps were countless upside-down coffins.

Lu Yuan did not retreat.

He inserted the tip of the knife into the ink line, using the line as a string and the mirror as an eye, and pulled sharply.

"A dead end is not a way to ferry the living!"

"The burial gate does not accept living remains!"

"Do not rely on evil gods on your return journey!"

"Break!"

The blade sliced ​​along the ink line.

The "death" monument on the black behemoth split open from the middle.

A dull thud came from underwater.

The "Funeral" stele and the "Return" stele were simultaneously lowered into darkness.

The colossal creature let out a silent roar as its body plunged back into the black water.

But before it sank, a black tail swept across the stone bridge.

The stone bridge broke in two on the spot.

The group of six, including Lu Yuan, slid towards the stone gate at the end of the first half of the path.

The road behind them all plunged into the black water.

They could only keep moving forward.

Behind the stone gate is a real well.

The wellhead stands in the center of the grotto, and the well walls are made of countless black wooden plaques.

There was no water in the well, only a layer of constantly swirling black mist.

Ah Sheng stood in the black mist.

Half of his body still looked like a child, while the other half had grown into a mass of black flesh connected to the root of the evil god.

Behind him stood the last three monuments.

"name."

"born."

"die."

The three steles form a triangle.

Each monument has a black nail driven into its base.

Blood threads were wrapped around the black nail, and all the blood flowed into Ah Sheng's chest.

Ah Sheng looked at Lu Yuan, and for the first time, a clear look of fear appeared in his eyes.

"You shouldn't have come here."

"What would you do if you pulled out the black nail?" Lu Yuan asked.

"Fame will fade, life will end, death will begin."

"The evil god will come out.

"You'll come out too."

Ah Sheng shook his head.

"I can't get out."

"You are the lock."

"I am both a lock and a door."

Lu Yuan looked at the three steles.

"The name monument locks in who you are, the life monument locks in how much life you have left, and the death monument locks in where you should go."

"You can never be complete without these three steles."

"But if the three tablets move, the evil god will awaken."

Ah Sheng didn't say anything.

The black mist at the bottom of the well began to swirl.

The massive black face emerged from the mist.

The voice was much closer than before: "Life cannot be restored."

"If life continues, the mountain will collapse."

"When the mountain collapses, people die."

"How many human corpses are you willing to sacrifice to ensure one child is whole?"

Lu Yuan stared at the black mist.

"You're speaking up for Shan again."

The man with the dark expression did not respond.

Lu Yuan suddenly turned around and looked at the well wall.

The well wall is covered with dense black wooden plaques, each engraved with a name.

Many of the names have become obscure.

Some wooden signs only have one radical left.

Some only have one horizontal line left.

"The names in this well are not all for evil gods," Lu Yuan said.

Lin Zhaoxuan followed his gaze.

"Some have already been separated from the monument."

"But there is nowhere to go."

"They were trapped on the well wall, becoming the abandoned names used by the evil god to maintain the mountain's base."

Lu Yuandao said, "As long as Feiming is sent back outside the mountain, the mountain base will not collapse completely."

Wang Cheng'an said, "But where would we find so many people?"

"No need to take it with you."

Lu Yuan took out the blank offering paper and pasted it on the wellhead.

"You don't need to take your name with you."

"Just let them know that they are no longer affiliated with the evil god."

He bit his fingertip and wrote the character "还" (return) in the center of the offering paper.

Then the remaining black ash, cinnabar, and salt were mixed together and sprinkled around the well opening.

"The well is the gate to the underworld, and the stele is an old record."

"Those who are nameless do not offer sacrifices, and those who are famous do not serve as provisions."

"Today we open a path for people, sending those with blemishes back to the mountains."

"Beyond the mountains lies soil, which can nurture bones; beyond the mountains lies wind, which can carry sound; beyond the mountains lies humanity, where names can be registered."

"All of you, heed my command—return!"

The character "还" on the offering paper instantly burst into flames.

Countless wooden plaques on the well wall began to vibrate.

Black water flowed out from the gaps in the wooden sign, forming thin streams that crossed the edge of the well and gushed outwards along the cracks in the grotto.

That's not ordinary water.

Within each waterline, a blurry human figure was hidden.

Instead of flying towards the evil god, they dispersed outwards along the cracks in the mountain's belly.

Some burrowed into the soil.

Some drifted into the forest with the wind.

Some of them fell beside the roots of the birch tree and turned into white seeds.

The black face in the grotto began to contract violently.

"You're stealing my name."

"The fame was never yours."

Lu Yuandao.

"You simply remember the dead and assume they belong to you."

The dark-faced man let out a deafening roar.

The three root markers lit up simultaneously.

The characters on the "Name" stele protrude outwards, transforming into a huge black net that covers Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan raised his sword to parry.

The black net pressed down on the blade, causing the blade to bend little by little.

Xu Erxiao, Wang Chengan, Lin Zhaoxuan, Song Qinghe, and Zhou Heng stepped forward at the same time, each placing their hands on the back of their knives.

Lu Yuan said in a deep voice, "Don't use brute force."

"This web is woven from names."

"Everyone should guard their own name and not let it infiltrate."

Everyone immediately snapped out of their daze.

Xu Erxiao held a copper coin in his mouth and formed the "Midnight-Noon Seal" with both hands.

Wang Chengan used the broken abacus frame to press down on the back of the knife.

Lin Zhaoxuan wrapped the ink line around the knife handle.

Song Qinghe placed the broken oil lamp at her feet and protected the wick with both hands.

Zhou Heng closed his eyes, holding the short sword horizontally in front of his chest.

The six people's breathing gradually stabilized.

The black net is still pressing down, but it can no longer tighten.

Lu Yuan looked down at the blade.

A very fine crack had appeared on the back of the knife at some point.

He suddenly remembered the words left by the iron abacus: "Broken cards, shattered mirror, black ash, and a knife that refuses to settle accounts."

A knife is not for cutting people.

They refused to settle scores with the evil god.

Lu Yuan released his grip.

Everyone was taken aback.

The black net, now unobstructed, crashed down with a deafening roar.

But Lu Yuan was not suppressed.

He inserted the knife into the edge of the well, letting the black net entangle his arm.

"You want my name?"

The dark-faced man's voice suddenly stopped.

Lu Yuan looked up.

"Then take it."

The black net tightened rapidly.

Black characters appeared on Lu Yuan's arm.

"land."

"Far."

"Lu Yuan."

The writing marks spread along his arm toward his chest.

Ah Sheng cried out in terror, "We can't let it finish writing!"

"I know."

Lu Yuan did not struggle.

He looked at the words and suddenly used the tip of the knife to cut a bloody gash in his palm.

Blood flowed down the black lettering.

"A name is something that is called out."

"It's also what people themselves recognize."

"You only wrote my name, not my fate."

Lu Yuan placed his palm on the "Name" monument.

"My name is in my own body."

My life is in my own hands.

"You can take the name, but you can't take the person away."

Blood burst from his palm.

The two characters "Lu Yuan" in the black web were scattered by blood.

Then, Lu Yuan grabbed the edge of the "name" monument with both hands and suddenly pried it outwards.

The stone tablet was not broken.

But a crack appeared in the doorway.

The sound of countless people calling out names simultaneously came from through the crack in the door.

The sound came from near and far, like the dead in the entire mountain waiting for an answer.

Lu Yuan did not respond.

He slipped the black wooden plaque into the crack in the door.

The empty tent on the black wooden plaque turned into white light, blocking the door of the "Name" monument.

"If the monument to the name is not opened, the evil god will not appear."

"As long as the monument remains unmoved, Ah Sheng will not disperse."

"As long as the dead monument remains unbroken, there is a path beyond the mountain."

"Now, just pull out the black nails."

The three black nails vibrated simultaneously.

Ah Sheng's chest flesh suddenly split open, revealing three deep wounds that exposed bone.

He didn't shout, he just bit his lip tightly.

Lu Yuan looked at him.

"How long can you endure it?"

"long time."

"How long did you endure this before?"

"I don't remember."

"Then remember it from now on."

Lu Yuan handed the knife to Zhou Heng.

"Go and pull out the dead nail."

He then handed the ink line to Lin Zhaoxuan.

"You're wearing a name tag."

Finally, he handed a vermilion nail to Song Qinghe.

"You guard the nail."

"Erxiao, Cheng'an, hold Asheng down and prevent him from being dragged away by the fetal root."

Everyone agreed.

Lu Yuan then stood in the center of the three steles, facing the gradually opening black face.

"What are you doing?" Wang Chengan asked.

"Hold it back."

Dark-faced, he looked down at Lu Yuan.

"A mere mortal dares to stand in the way of a god?"

"Come out of this well first."

Lu Yuan raised his sword and held it horizontally in front of him.

"If you can't get out of this situation, don't call yourself a god."

Suddenly, the dark-faced man stretched out a hand.

The hand was enormous, with nails like five black stone slabs, pressing down on Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan stepped onto the protective barrier.

"Tianpeng turns left, Tianyou moves right; the black evil cannot enter, the yin wind cannot meet. Disciples of the Xuanmen, borrow the positions of the Big Dipper, to suppress!"

He took the Seven Star Step.

The first step falls on the Greedy Wolf position.

The second step falls on the Giant Gate position.

The third step falls on the Lu Cun position.

The fourth step falls on the Wenqu position.

The fifth step falls on the Lianzhen position.

The sixth step falls on the Wuqu position.

The seventh step falls on the Po Jun position.

Each step involved drawing a star-like mark on the ground with the tip of the knife.

Seven points connect to form the Big Dipper.

When the black hand pressed down, it landed precisely on the handle of the Big Dipper.

Lu Yuan gripped the knife with both hands, the tips pointing upwards.

"The Big Dipper wards off evil, the Seven Stars stabilize the soul!"

The blade clashed with the black hand.

A loud bang.

Lu Yuan's knees sank, and the stone slab beneath his feet cracked inch by inch.

The black hand was not stopped and continued to press down little by little.

"Brother Lu!" Xu Erxiao called out.

"Pull out the nail!"

Lu Yuan gritted his teeth and shouted.

Zhou Heng had already rushed to the side of the tombstone.

The nail was driven deep into the cave floor. He gripped the knife handle with both hands and flicked it downwards.

"rise!"

The nail remained completely still.

Suddenly, a skeletal arm emerged from the nail and grabbed Zhou Heng's knife.

Zhou Heng's wrist was shattered by the impact, and blood flowed down the hilt of the knife.

"It's using the dead to suppress its own power!" Lin Zhaoxuan said.

Zhou Heng did not back down.

He stepped on the nail's end, switched to a reverse grip on the knife, and thrust the blade horizontally into the ground.

"If a dead man is pressing down on you, then I'll let a living man press down on you!"

He braced himself against the hilt of the knife with his shoulder, his entire body almost lying on the ground.

The nail finally loosened by half an inch.

Lin Zhaoxuan's ink line had become entangled in the nail.

He looped the thread around his arm and tied it in a knot in the opposite direction.

"The name belongs to the line, and the line belongs to the door."

"Our sect has its own methods, and these methods are not used for evil purposes."

"Break!"

Ming Ding was suddenly jolted.

The black line followed the ink line and bit back, instantly wrapping around half of Lin Zhaoxuan's body.

His face was pale, but he did not let go.

"Qinghe!"

The cinnabar nail in Song Qinghe's hand was already pressed next to the raw nail.

Ah Sheng's body kept convulsing.

With each movement of the nail, his chest split open an inch.

Song Qinghe did not pull out the nail, but instead pierced the shadow of the raw nail with cinnabar.

"Birth is not a means of sustenance, and pregnancy is not a means of nourishment."

"Life is in the well, not in the mouth of evil."

"Ah Sheng, guard your name."

Ah Sheng raised his head.

Black liquid streamed down his face.

"My name is Ah Sheng."

"My name is Asheng."

My name is ————

His voice became clearer and clearer.

When the shout was uttered for the third time, the black thread wrapped around the nail suddenly came loose.

The force of the dark figure's palm pressing down also weakened at this moment.

Lu Yuan seized the opportunity and flicked the blade upwards.

"boom!"

The black hand was cleaved open by the force of the Big Dipper sword.

Lu Yuan ducked down, passed under the black hand, and headed straight for the black-faced body.

The man with the dark face hadn't expected him to approach him, and his expression suddenly widened.

The countless stone tablets inside turned at the same time, emitting numerous low, clanging sounds.

"You think you can kill me by stripping off a few tombstones?"

"I can't kill you."

Lu Yuan had already positioned himself below the dark-faced man.

"But I can shut you up."

He took out the last bit of salt and black ash and mixed it in his palm.

The left hand forms the "purification incantation," while the right hand holds the knife.

"Dust to dust, water to water, evil in the earth, buried in the earth."

"Do not let filth touch your body, do not let filth enter your eyes."

"The offerings from Black Mountain have been reversed today."

"Reverse sacrifice!"

He slammed salt and ash into the cracks in his black face.

The dark-faced man let out a bloodcurdling scream that shook the mountainside.

The plaques inside its body began to turn upside down.

The black energy that was originally drawn in from the outside was forcibly expelled.

The birch forest, wooden houses, fake villages, stone steps, and countless fragments of inscriptions all flowed out of Black Face's body.

The black mist burst out of the cave and crashed out of the mountain.

The mountainside began to crack.

"Quick!" Lu Yuan turned around, "Pull out the nails!"

Zhou Heng finally pulled out the dead nail.

The instant the nail was lifted off the ground, a huge collapse sound came from below the grotto.

Lin Zhaoxuan's name tag also loosened.

He twisted the ink line with both hands and pulled the name nail out from under the monument.

The moment the nail was pulled out, Lin Zhaoxuan was bounced back by the black line and crashed into the stone wall.

Song Qinghe still guarded the living nail.

"Just one more to go!"

The nail was driven deep into Ah Sheng's chest.

The black tire cord is wrapped around the nail.

Ah Sheng looked at Lu Yuan, his voice already extremely weak: "If you pull it out, I will die."

Lu Yuan walked to the well.

"Do you want to live?"

Ah Sheng nodded.

"think."

"Then we can't just stay here."

"But I have no home outside."

"Come out first."

"And then what?"

Lu Yuan looked at his body, which was half child and half dark flesh.

"After you get out, find a place where you can survive."

Ah Sheng's eyes flickered.

Lu Yuan reached out his hand, but instead of grabbing him, he pressed it on the nail.

I won't make the decision for you.

"If you want to pull it out, then nod your head."

Ah Sheng remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he nodded slowly.

Song Qinghe gripped the raw nail with both hands.

"Then I'll pull it out."

"pull!"

The moment the nail was pulled out, all sound in the main cave disappeared simultaneously.

The shadowy figure's face froze in mid-air.

The dark flesh on Ah Sheng's chest rolled outwards, revealing a black stone heart the size of a fist.

The last word was engraved on the stone: "Life".

Lu Yuan raised his sword and slashed down.

The stone heart did not break.

The moment the blade touched the stone core, it was blasted away by a tremendous force.

The black-faced man reopened his seven eyes.

"The character '生' (sheng) must not be interrupted."

"If life is cut off, the mountain will die."

"If the mountain dies, you will all die."