A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 621 Void Replacement, Six Hidden Figures of Shangshan

The Lord of Jiufang Mountain once again began inviting the Emperor of the Underworld.

Unlike before when he merely used his supernatural powers to manifest a blue-feathered crow to invite them, this time, the Lord of Jiufang Mountain personally visited them one by one.

When Ancestor Ande was meditating on the tortoise shell, he sensed the arrival of his old friend and was quite surprised.

"It's rare to see you actually come out in your true form instead of cultivating spiritual fruits in Jiufang Mountain..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ancestor Ande seemed to sense something, and his eyes suddenly widened as he stared intently at the void fluctuations around the Nine Directions Mountain Master.

The void of the eighteenth level of the underworld is also filled with the five turbid energies. Although the concentration of turbid energy is much lower than that in the bodies of the Heavenly Ghosts and Emperors, for the Emperors, regardless of the concentration, absorbing this void turbid energy is simply increasing their burden and accelerating their death.

But now, the Lord of Jiufang Mountain is recklessly devouring the void of the underworld.

Almost every instant, vast expanses of void fell into his body, but at the same time, an equally vast expanse of void was also shifting outward from within him. So it appeared that there were only some void fluctuations around him, and no major anomalies occurred.

"This is...this..."

Ancestor Ande sensed that the concentration of the turbid air in the void was rising, and these newly appearing turbid airs were not as chaotic as the original turbid air in the underworld, but rather appeared to be extremely uniform, as they were all transferred from the same human body.

"You actually managed to directly exchange your cosmic remains with the void of the underworld, even though both sides are filled with the five turbid energies?"

Ancestor Ande, amidst his shock and a hint of envy, exclaimed, "You old rascal, when exactly did you obtain the Magical Quicksand? You've actually comprehended it to this extent! I've been diligently studying it for some time now, but I never saw anything like it—this divine power could evolve to this level!"

The Lord of Jiufang Mountain had a complicated expression. He stroked his newly grown beard and after a long while, he said in a low voice, "This is not something I figured out on my own. Someone used the method of mind-to-mind transmission to instill this supernatural insight into me."

Ancestor Ande barely managed to suppress his envy and said, "The one you've pledged allegiance to actually values ​​you so much..."

"no!"

The master of Jiufang Mountain immediately denied it, saying, "The one who passed this on to me is hardly a senior."

"Well, if you also want to comprehend the quicksand technique to this level as soon as possible, then come with my Blue Raven to see him. You hid too well this time; I had already invited many people over before I found you."

As soon as he spoke, a blue raven flew out from between the fingers of the Nine Directions Mountain Master and circled around Ancestor Ande.

Ancestor Ande had some doubts and wanted to ask more, but the Lord of Jiufang Mountain had already walked away.

All I could vaguely hear was him muttering something: "It's true, just one meeting, no need for much persuasion, and these people are already smitten... How come I didn't realize that before..."

After pondering for a moment, Ancestor Ande finally couldn't resist and followed the Blue Feather Crow.

From ancient times to the present, no matter how well he takes care of himself, his condition will eventually deteriorate little by little.

Five hundred and six billion nine thousand years have passed, and even the fruits of Jiufang Mountain have lost their effect on him. In all this time, he has not felt any improvement or relief.

Moreover, in order to be able to resist the five turbid energies at all times, Ancestor Ande did not even dare to let himself fall into a time-slowing slumber.

The appearance of the magic quicksand brought him hope, but the demand to attack the mortal realm filled him with fear and made him hesitate.

Now, there's no need to attack the mortal realm; staying in the underworld will slightly improve his situation. Ancestor Ander racked his brains but couldn't think of a single reason not to keep the appointment.

When he arrived at his destination, there were already many people there.

A vast expanse of purple aura stretched across the void.

Within the purple bamboo forest, the auras of over seventy emperors lingered, each occupying a separate area, their energy fluctuating from time to time.

Whenever a void fluctuation begins to appear around an emperor, it causes unease among several people nearby.

In the center of the Purple Bamboo Forest, thousands of mountains wind around and protect the lake, with purple mist rising from the lake like lotus blossoms.

A monk with white hair sat casually in a lotus flower, holding a whisk in one hand and forming the Ushnishavijaya mudra in the other, expounding the mysteries of "Ultimate Bodhi of the Flowing Sands of Dharma" using orthodox Buddhist Dharani mantras.

The Dharani mantra is transmitted from heart to heart, and at the same time, the sound of the Buddha penetrates into the void, constantly demonstrating the profound mystery of the "Dharma-filled Sands" in its ability to transform the void.

"How could it be him?!"

Ancestor Ande had also met Master Qingdeng, and knew that this person was half a celestial ghost who came from outside the realm, and was not worth paying much attention to.

At this moment, it seems that this person's cultivation level is far higher than initially estimated. What exactly happened to him?

The doubts in An De's heart did not last long before he was drawn in by the Buddhist mantras and immersed in his understanding of the "Dharma-filled Sands".

He was indeed a little late.

Before he had even grasped the basics, many emperors had already mastered the wondrous uses of void displacement, and they all bid farewell to Guan Luoyang and hurriedly departed.

The void around the Purple Qi Continent has already been replaced by others. Staying in this area to replace the void will not bring them any benefit.

However, the eighteenth level of the underworld is vast and boundless. As long as they each go a little further away, they can fully utilize this substitution technique.

If the five turbid energies in their bodies could be reduced to a concentration similar to that of the original turbid energies in the underworld, it might be possible to trace back their state to between 10,000 and 30,000 years ago.

It's equivalent to avoiding the radiance of the Supreme Sun for tens of thousands of years, which shows how much more comfortable it would be than the current situation.

Guan Luoyang knew they were eager to experience it, so he didn't try to keep them. He simply told them to get together again in a few days.

When Ancestor Ande finally grasped the wondrous use of replacing the void of the underworld, Lord Jiufang had already invited everyone he could find and returned to the Purple Bamboo Forest.

Seeing Ancestor Ande get up and leave with a look of delight on his face, Guan Luoyang waved his whisk, and there were hardly any people left in the Purple Bamboo Forest.

The Lord of Jiufang Mountain looked around and said, "Your advantage is indeed very attractive. Being exposed to the sun every day without any supplies, everyone would like to experience the more relaxed life they had back then."

"But this alone is far from enough to make them obedient and follow your orders without question, right?"

Guan Luoyang said calmly, "Mountain Lord, don't be in a hurry. To consolidate a force, it's not necessary to make them loyal to me. The more important thing is to first eliminate those who are definitely not loyal to us."

The Lord of Jiufang Mountain asked suspiciously, "What do you want to do?"

"I taught them the method of exchanging emptiness by transmitting my heart to their hearts. When they first exchanged emptiness, they inevitably followed this inertia and let their thoughts leak out."

Guan Luoyang smiled slightly, "I captured countless thoughts, and before they reacted and annihilated themselves, I sensed something."

"Among these underworld emperors, quite a few are resistant to the idea of ​​storming the underworld and returning to the mortal realm."

At first, the Lord of Jiufang Mountain didn't quite understand, but after thinking for a moment, he exclaimed in surprise, "They've already been stranded in the Underworld, surely they wouldn't be willing to give up this opportunity for the sake of all the beings connected to the mortal realm?"

The Lord of Jiufang Mountain looked utterly incredulous.

What is the relationship between the beings in the lower realms and them?

When the opportunity arises to return to its former glory, one can simply recreate a new batch within one's own realm. If that seems too much trouble, one can also find some unpolluted realms and move some people over to use them.

In any case, the number of worlds connected to the mortal realm is endless, and there are always those worlds that have not been tainted by the five turbid energies.

All living things in the heavens are like water and sand, inexhaustible and boundless.

To give up a chance that might only come once in a lifetime for something like this...

The master of Jiufang Mountain shook his head vigorously.

But upon closer reflection, he wasn't really sure if anyone would do that.

When he focused his thoughts in this direction, in those distant memories that had faded considerably, there were still some fragments. It seemed that in ancient times, there were indeed some powerful beings who were too sentimental, even empathizing with the feelings of mortal beings.

"Can you identify who they are?"

"I can only sense these thoughts, but I can't clearly trace their owners."

Guan Luoyang shook his head leisurely and said, "But it doesn't matter, I have my own ways to teach them to reveal their true colors."

He draped his whisk over the shoulder of the Nine Directions Mountain Master and transmitted his voice, saying, "I think Ancestor Ande is a useful person. Go and catch up with him, and relay these words to him word for word..."

………………

The void was dark, and turbid air condensed into a halo of light.

Within the halo, a divine tree radiating a crystal-like luster hangs. The tree has a long trunk and slender branches, seemingly capable of endlessly evolving and differentiating upwards.

However, this divine tree was already filled with the five turbid energies, mixed with all sorts of colorful dark matter, flowing within the divine tree, making all the newly grown branches like phantoms, fleeting and unable to become real.

This divine tree is a remnant of a cosmic entity.

Inside the divine tree, there is a white jade-like mansion that has not yet been completely devoured by the five turbid energies. The words "Qi Heng" are hung on the gate of the mansion.

The mansion was deserted, with a patch of withered grass, a few dead willow trees, a murky and lifeless pond, and four figures sitting motionless.

It's unclear how long they sat there, but one of the elderly men, with golden hair and beard and pure black eyes, finally took a deep breath and twitched his fingers.

"The ultimate Bodhi of the Flowing Sands is indeed a wonderful supernatural power. With the guidance of the Supreme Master Qingdeng, we have been able to alleviate the symptoms of our five defiled bodies simply by exchanging with the void of the underworld."

"If we truly take advantage of the great calamity to enter the human world, reshape our origins, and restore our former glory, it will not be empty talk."

Although the old man with yellow hair said this, there was no joy on his face, but rather a deep sense of worry.

Another pale-faced, beardless man with six eyes opened his middle row of eyes and said, "Brother, are you reluctant to use this supernatural power?"

"Ugh!"

The old man with yellow hair sighed, "Since the great calamity of antiquity, the human race has flourished. Among all the heavens and myriad realms, those who receive the teachings of my Taiqing are often the most prosperous human races."

"Since they have received the teachings from our human ancestors and have prospered without end, they are of the same origin as us, true members of the same race. If we were to use this supernatural power in the mortal realm, the number of our fellow races harmed by the five turbid energies would be far too many to describe, even if we were to count them as sands of the Ganges."

"If we actually did that, would we be able to have peace of mind once our strength was restored to its peak?"

The six-eyed man laughed and said, "We, the Six Hermits of Shang Mountain, have always advanced and retreated together. If you, elder brother, are unwilling, we simply won't go."

Although there were only four people sitting in the courtyard, there were six prayer cushions placed there.

The Six Hermits of Shangshan were six sworn brothers. Two of them died early in life, leaving four. All four of them cultivated to the Emperor Realm, which was once a legendary tale.

These powerful beings, tainted by the five turbid energies and residing in the underworld, generally come from four different sources.

The first source is prisoners from Heaven.

Many of the forces that failed in the ancient calamity chose to escape into the eighteenth level of the underworld, such as the Lord of Jiufang Mountain and Ancestor Ande.

Most of these old relics have been broken down and reincarnated; few have survived.

In addition, there are those who, over the past 5.6 billion years, have been suppressed and banished to the lowest level of the underworld for violating heavenly rules, such as Kim Pil-hyun and others.

The second source is people from outside the boundary.

The Pure and Bright Underworld possesses a unique pulling force that often draws in the remains of worlds that have withered and sunk beneath the sea of ​​worlds, merging them into the Underworld.

If the spiritual imprints that have been dormant and decayed within those remains are reawakened, they will naturally be reincarnated.

However, occasionally some beings have not completely perished, but instead slumber within the remains of the universe, resisting the final calamity through self-sealing and other means.

These beings, whose realm is around that of a Celestial Immortal and who do not have too much evil karma, will generally undergo layers of enlightenment in the underworld, complete their reincarnation in the tenth layer of the underworld, and be conferred the title of ghosts and gods of the underworld.

Some of the remains of the boundary universe were not naturally formed in the boundary sea, but were created by humans, and the creators were unable to escape in time.

So, these pioneers often have too much karmic burden, and they are not so lucky as to be selected for the tenth level of the underworld. Most of them can only survive in the eighteenth level of the underworld.

The state in which Guan Luoyang disguised himself as a half-demon is the most common form for these kinds of pioneers from beyond the realm after entering the underworld.

The third source is adventurers and treasure hunters.

In the lower realm of the underworld, there are many unclaimed remains of celestial beings that have not yet been transformed into celestial demons.

These remains, collectively known as Old Realm Relics, likely contain some rare treasures that condensed during the evolution of the universe and have not yet been completely eroded by the Five Turbidities.

Celestial beings often come in pairs to explore and search for treasures in the tenth to seventeenth levels of the underworld, or to test new Taoist magic and supernatural powers by taking advantage of the special environment.

There will also be celestial emperors who go to the eighteenth level of the underworld to search for treasures and practice magic.

However, the eighteenth level of the underworld offers the most opportunities, but it is also the most dangerous.

If an emperor who has not yet condensed his own holy land encounters a horde of celestial ghosts while traveling in the eighteenth level of the underworld, he may not even be able to escape in time.

If an emperor who has opened up the Great Dao Realm and condensed his own holy land has been active in the eighteenth level of the Underworld for too long and encounters an unexpected event, causing his own realm to decay prematurely, he will also be restricted by the Heavenly Rules and unable to leave the eighteenth level of the Underworld.

At that time, many underworld emperors did not yet possess the supernatural power of "Quicksand of Magic," but their own realms had long been decaying, making it difficult for them to generate resources other than the five turbid energies. Sometimes, simply to try something new, they would plot against the celestial emperors and plunder the rare fruits, elixirs, and spiritual medicines in those emperors' holy lands.

As a result, quite a few celestial emperors have been trapped in the underworld and are unable to leave.

They are often too confident, and they don't think they will be easily harmed by these old men of the underworld until they are actually tricked and fall into a trap.

The fourth source is also the Heavenly Emperor.

Although the Heavenly Court has three thousand heavenly rules, as long as one doesn't wander around the mortal realm or try to interfere with certain lower realms for an extended period of time, at least half of these heavenly rules will not be violated.

For the past five billion years, the living environment of the Heavenly Emperors has been exceptionally relaxed. Most of them prefer to wander freely in the chaos and spread the Dharma to the outside world.

However, since they both belong to the Taiqing realm and share similar Dao principles, they are inevitably entangled in cause and effect. Their struggles and debates on the Dao could easily turn into feuds, and the grudges between seniors and juniors would exacerbate the karmic consequences.

It is not uncommon for various bets to escalate into life-or-death battles.

Therefore, many emperors, when their own holy lands decay and they want to escape the tribulation, are plotted against by other emperors and cannot escape in time. They eventually transform into the Five Turbidities, triggering the Heavenly Rules and being transferred to the eighteenth level of the Underworld.

It wasn't until more than ten thousand years ago, when Emperor Wenqiu attained the status of a Celestial Venerable and led his followers on a tour of the Heavenly Realm, tirelessly preaching benevolence and righteousness to the Heavenly Emperors and demonstrating that he was greater than them, that this situation began to subside.

After all, Wenqiu Tianzun had quite a few friends and disciples. When such a large group of people were willing to follow the same set of rules and the procession activities were particularly frequent, the deterrent power of these rules was not much different from that of the Heavenly Rules.

Unfortunately, the Six Hermits of Shangshan had already been defeated in a private duel 30,000 years ago and had fallen to the lowest level of the underworld.

The four of them cultivated themselves into emperors and had already resurrected their two brothers, but after falling to the lowest level of the underworld, they could not withstand the all-pervasive erosion of the five turbid energies and perished again.

The elder with yellow hair, who was the leader, was known as Emperor Huangyun when he was in the Heavenly Realm.

The third brother, who has six eyes, is a spirit formed from a section of ancient city wall, known as the Emperor of Yangguan.

The fourth brother, Mo Qian Dijun, was a bald young man with a water ladle hanging from his waist.

The fifth-ranked Emperor Lu Wu was a muscular, black-haired man with a bare upper body and covered in golden tattoos.

After Huang Yun expressed his doubts, Lu Wu also said, "I am also unwilling to use such methods in the mortal world, but it is not a good thing for us to just hide like this."

"How about..."

He hesitated before saying, "Shall we think of a way to send a message to the Ten Kings of Hell and tell them to prepare in advance?"

Emperor Yangguan shook his head and said, "Sending a message to the outside of the underworld is already extremely difficult. Even if we spare no expense and use our supernatural powers together, we may not be able to get the message to reach the tenth level or higher of the underworld."

"The person behind the Lord of Jiufang Mountain is very likely Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Even if he flew over the tenth level of the underworld, how could he not notice him?"

Lu Wu frowned and remained silent.

"Sending a message is indeed not feasible."

Emperor Moqian also said, "If Ksitigarbha can collude with the Lord of the Nine Directions Mountain to spread such supernatural powers, how can we be sure that there are any accomplices among the Ten Kings of Hell?"

The bald man snorted, "But I'm not willing to just hide here and wait to die."

Emperor Huangyun asked, "Then what do you think we should do?"

"To seek life from the brink of death, to snatch chestnuts from the fire."

Emperor Moqian said decisively, "Although we cannot determine which of the Ten Kings of Hell are Ksitigarbha's accomplices, they do not act ostentatiously in the lower realms of the underworld."

"It is clear that even if they have accomplices, they are only a minority, and the majority of the forces in the underworld will still oppose their actions."

"We'll conceal our intentions and blend in among these underworld emperors. When the real attack on the underworld begins, we'll launch a surprise attack, help the underworld's side, and then conveniently defect to the group that truly protects the underworld..."

Emperor Huangyun frowned and said, "To betray someone at the last minute is far too dangerous."

That's why it's called "fighting for survival against all odds!"

Emperor Moqian's eyes shone brightly as he resolutely declared, "If we can successfully join the Underworld, this achievement will be enough to persuade one of the Ten Kings of Hell to personally help us get rid of the Remains of the Realm."

"Whether their planned attack on the Underworld succeeds or fails, the Underworld cannot be easily destroyed. At most, it will retreat and hold its ground in one corner. At that time, the importance of the four emperors will be even more prominent."

Emperor Yangguan was also somewhat tempted: "In this way, during this great calamity, we will firmly stand on the side of Heaven and the Underworld, not only without betraying our conscience, but also with a fairly high chance of victory..."

After all, the Heavenly Emperor was the victor of the last great calamity, and after that calamity, the human race prospered again. In this calamity, their side still has a strong foundation.

Emperor Huangyun remained silent for a moment, then let out a deep sigh: "There are seventy or eighty Emperors of the Underworld who are frequently active, and the Netherworld is not to be underestimated either. There will definitely be several Heavenly Venerable-level warriors involved. Do you really think the four of us can betray them at the last minute..."

He stopped abruptly before he could finish speaking and looked outside.

Outside the divine tree, a giant tortoise shell floated in.

Ancestor Ande had a round, ruddy face and a big smile. He was bowing to this side.

"Fellow Daoists, Ande has come to visit."

I'd like to recommend a book.

Ghost tales, strange and unusual stories passed down orally, possess a bizarre power due to human nature and perception.

Ghost tales are the rules!

Those who master ghost stories master the rules.

Transmigrating to a strangely resurgent Tokyo, as the future master of ghost stories, the most handsome boy in Tokyo, and an indescribable urban legend... Hagami Ryousou wields a pair of demonic eyes and a demonic sword, destined to wreak havoc here!

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Keywords: [Tokyo style] [Mysterious] [Pseudo-invincible]

(End of this chapter)