Chapter 302: Ritual Money, Old Capital (29)
Just as the general lifted the seal on his power, everyone felt their vision blur for a moment. The sky and earth appeared to double, as though two identical yet displaced realities were overlapping and switching places.
All of Hell fell into a sudden stillness.
Whether it was the howling wind, the lashing rain, or the wailing of spirits—everything came to an abrupt halt.
Even the members of the rescue team froze in place. Some had their mouths open mid-sentence, some were alertly scanning their surroundings, and others were anxiously looking toward the Taoist beside them, seemingly wanting to know what was going on.
But their expressions and movements all froze at that exact moment.
The Taoist, mid-turn and casting a worried glance toward Yan Shixun, remained in that posture.
It wasn’t just the Taoist—the official in charge, even the King of Hell—at the very moment of the anomaly, all instinctively turned to look at Yan Shixun. It was as if he were the pillar of support they all relied on, the one they looked to for answers.
Everyone turned to look at Yan Shixun, gazes from all directions converging on him. Yet their cries of alarm and confusion caught in their throats, leaving only panic and bewilderment in their eyes.
It was as if someone had pressed the pause button on the world.
Standing at the center of all those frozen gazes, Yan Shixun had also paused for a brief moment at the start. But he quickly realized something was wrong. Gritting his teeth and relying on sheer force of will, he forcibly tore himself free from the stillness.
He blinked slowly, and in that blink, the world resumed its normal flow.
Then, Yan Shixun saw Ye Li—who had been standing beside him—now calmly walking toward the distant general.
With each step Ye Li took, the seemingly solid ground beneath him cracked open. Huge fissures split the earth, crumbling it into falling chunks that collapsed into a bottomless abyss.
From the depths of that abyss, countless ghosts suppressed for eons took the opportunity to rise. They stretched out their hands in a frantic rush, attempting to drag everyone on the surface down with them into the pit.
But in the very next moment, newly formed stone and soil filled the gaps, covering the abyss and sealing the evil spirits below once more, restoring the ground.
The soldiers standing behind the general, whose bodies had been wrapped in a dark green glow, began to dissolve into black mist one by one as Ye Li approached.
The warhorses lowered their heads in silence, a gesture of submission. The soldiers sheathed their blades, their spears lowered—the once-invincible army only withdrew their edge in front of their commanding general.
At the same time, behind Ye Li, new figures began to emerge—tall warhorses and ghostly soldiers.
Shrouded in black mist, their armor gleamed with cold light. Their eyes were sharp and focused straight ahead, hands gripping their long swords, as if ready to ride into battle once more under the command of the Lord of Fengdu.
An epic changing of the guard was unfolding with thunderous momentum.
The general stood still, quietly watching Ye Li approach him.
There had once been a general who died in Ye City and crossed the River Li to ascend to godhood, taking control of Fengdu.
At the moment the Lord of Fengdu became a ghost deity, a new divine name was formed, and the mortal identity of the general perished.
No one remembered the name of that mortal general anymore.
Even among those who knew the true name of the ghost deity, their number had dwindled over time—until now, only Yan Shixun remained.
—For a ghost deity to offer his true name was to gift his soul in sincerity, to pledge himself with the power of one hundred thousand underworld soldiers and ten million ghosts of Fengdu—strong enough to defy heaven and earth—as his dowry.
And now, the ghost deity stood before his past self, demanding the return of the power that had been sealed away.
His black robe trailed behind him, adorned with exquisitely embroidered images of ferocious ghosts and beasts, snarling and roaring with a terrifying presence.
Sun, moon, and stars spun across his garment; rivers, mountains, and oceans surged in wave-like patterns at the hem. As Ye Li walked forward, the designs seemed to ripple as if he were walking upon the waves, controlling the heavens and the celestial bodies.
Ye Li extended his hand toward the general, slowly flattening his palm as he spoke:
“From cloud markings to the boundless void, at the dawn of catastrophe, clarity was born from the known, and mystery from the unknown.”
“The power you sealed away—it’s time you returned it to me.”
“And from this moment on, Fengdu—is here.*”
As his final word fell, a violent wind erupted from the ground beneath Ye Li’s feet, forming with terrifying speed. The gusts were so powerful they nearly tore the air apart, emitting high-pitched sonic booms as they shot toward the gloomy sky, instantly sweeping away the dark, oppressive clouds and revealing the blood-red sky behind them.
The fierce wind billowed his sleeves. Standing tall against it, Ye Li’s gaze was calm yet unwavering, as though no force in existence could shake his will as the Lord of Fengdu.
And behind him, the warhorses stamped their hooves while the metallic clang of swords at the soldiers’ waists rang out crisp and clear—impatient, ready to charge at their commander’s order and ride into battle once more.
The general silently met Ye Li’s gaze. Then, he gently lowered his eyes and smiled.
“The old days are gone. The new capital stands tall. The world I once guarded should now be entrusted to you. From here on, this world belongs to you.”
“—Ye Li.”
For the first time, the general softly called Ye Li’s name.
It was like a signal. The moment his voice fell, the once-blurred shadows of the mountains and rivers trembled violently.
The ebony statue that had silently guarded the southwest for centuries finally completed its mission. Amid a deafening rumble that seemed to shake heaven and earth, its power withdrew from the land of the southwest.
The first to sense the change were the lingering malevolent spirits across the region.
Due to this invisible and terrifying force, for hundreds of years, not only exorcists but even ghosts themselves feared the southwest. Every time a ghost tried to harm a living person, it would feel a chilling, oppressive gaze from behind — as if silently warned.
If it ignored the warning and pressed on with its murderous intent, it would meet a tragic end.
The closer one got to Baizhi Lake, the stronger this feeling became.
Many vengeful ghosts that had roamed for too long believed this oppressive presence came from the former Fengdu.
Even the old city of Fengdu itself assumed it was the heavy concentration of ghostly energy around Baizhi Lake — remnants of the power of the Northern Yin Fengdu Emperor — that continued to intimidate the southwest.
But now, in the violent tremors of the earth, the ghosts realized, albeit centuries too late, that this power did not come from ghost deities.
It came from mortals.
It was the terrifying pressure born of human rage and defiance — the desperate, indomitable will to resist the heavens.
The old Fengdu looked down into the deepest levels of the underworld and finally saw the truth—
The ebony statue had been hidden by the ghost official within the old Fengdu for a thousand years, and during all that time, it had never ceased to protect the human realm.
Even while trapped in hell.
What the ghosts had feared was not the lingering might of Fengdu.
It was—
The power of mortal themselves.
It had never been the clay statue that suppressed the evil spirits and brought peace.
It was the will of the living.
Unfortunately, the old Fengdu realized it far too late.
After countless years of subtle, gradual infusion, the general’s power had already spread deep into the soil of the southwest, silently guarding life in the darkness.
And no one had ever known.
Nor had the battle general cared to let anyone know.
Not until he fully withdrew his protective strength from Baizhi Lake and even the entire southwest, handing over all control to the Lord of Fengdu.
Only then did the world realize—
All this time, when no one was watching, someone had never once abandoned this land overrun with ghosts and evil spirits.
Though Fengdu could not set foot in the old city, he had refused to give up. He had fought to reclaim the southwest from the fallen old Fengdu.
Exhausting all his strength, without hesitation.
At that moment, the earth in the southwest quaked. People cried out and rushed out of buildings, asking if it was an earthquake.
Officials responded immediately, organizing evacuations and safety checks.
After a brief moment of panic, order returned quickly. People began leaving buildings in an organized fashion.
Several pagodas that suppressed evil spirits across the southwest were also brought under immediate attention at the urging of local exorcists. Personnel were dispatched to guard them, in case malevolent entities tried to escape.
Unlike the bewildered civilians who assumed it was just a natural disaster, the exorcists quickly understood the true cause. Beneath the trembling earth, monsters and demons were trying to break free.
Temples and Taoist sanctuaries sprang into action. While protecting people from the attacks of humanoid statues, many revered monks and masters gathered to form ritual arrays, casting powerful spells to contain the evil, making sure that no imprisoned spirits escaped from the sacred grounds.
If disaster from heaven and earth was inevitable, then they would still strive to contain every single ghost they could — save every life they could — and give their all to ensure the southwest remained safe.
“I heard that Hermit Chengyun’s disciple is in the southwest. Could he have foreseen this disaster?”
One master sighed. “All we can hope now is that his disciple is strong enough to quell these tens of thousands of evil spirits.”
“Mr. Yan can do it. I believe in Mr. Yan.”
An exorcist who had once been saved by Yan Shixun suddenly spoke up, eyes firm. “Wherever Mr. Yan is, there is hope.”
The old Fengdu flew into a rage. The deepest levels of the underworld collapsed as the skies fell and the ground cracked. Amid swirling sands and flying debris, ghosts began to appear in flickering shadows, shrieking as they lunged toward Ye Li and the battle general, trying to stop this great succession from taking place.
But how could someone who had once been soundly defeated ever hope to win against an overwhelming victor?
Let alone two of them.
When Ye Li realized that the power now entrusted to him extended beyond what he had previously commanded, his eyebrows twitched slightly. He looked toward the general with a hint of surprise.
He had always regarded the general as a mere shadow of his past, never expecting that the man harbored secrets unknown even to him.
Yet the general only curved his lips into a faint smile and said lightly, “Once the suppressing forces are withdrawn, the southwest will be overrun with evil spirits invading the human realm. But what happens next—that’s your responsibility now.”
His gaze drifted toward Yan Shixun in the distance, who was looking at him in shock. The smile in his eyes deepened, as if simply seeing Yan Shixun softened his heart beyond control, and he feared that his sharpness might accidentally wound him.
But his words were directed at Ye Li: “Since the southwest is now under your control, every life lost will be counted under your name—I’ll make sure to keep a tally and report back to Shixun.”
Ye Li, who had been slightly moved just moments before, instantly turned ice-cold. His face darkened in a flash as he gritted his teeth and shouted the general’s name, angrily condemning him for his shamelessness.
The general, however, seemed as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted from his shoulders. As he relaxed, he also regained the vitality and vigor that had long been buried in solemn silence.
He even shrugged and said casually, “All’s fair in war—have you forgotten?”
Ye Li: …Fine, so I’m the enemy now.
Ye Li let out a bitter laugh of rage.
And all of his fury surged into his battle against the former Fengdu, as if it wasn’t just the old Fengdu standing before him now, but also the general.
Ye Li raised his hand and pointed toward the blood-red sky, where dark clouds churned violently. His gaze was sharp as a blade, almost piercing through the heavens to the old Fengdu beyond. In his eyes, there was only a cold and lofty detachment.
Though Ye Li stood on the ground while the old Fengdu’s spirit hovered above, Ye Li’s unstoppable presence and commanding aura made it seem as if he were the one standing tall upon the divine altar.
And the old Fengdu—merely a guilty soul awaiting judgment below.
In a fit of rage, the old Fengdu unleashed bolts of lightning that crashed down one after another, striking the earth in an attempt to lash out at the rescue team and others nearby—since he couldn’t touch the new Lord of Fengdu, he vented his fury on the weak.
Caught in the moment of transition between old and new, the crowd couldn’t move at all. They could only watch helplessly as the lightning came down upon them.
Their vision was flooded with searing light, and within their hearts surged a despairing fear, silently lamenting their impending death.
But just as the lightning was about to strike them, a shadow suddenly swept across their field of vision.
Startled, they turned to look and saw a shield stretch diagonally from the side, covering their heads.
Warriors cloaked in black mist sprinted toward them in that split second, their spears pointed skyward while their shields stood firm before the crowd, locking them safely within a phalanx formation.
The soldiers’ expressions were resolute as they faced the cascading lightning. Not a single one flinched. Their sword tips aimed unwaveringly at the old Fengdu.
Crackling, sizzling sounds echoed from beyond the shields, making everyone’s hearts race with anxiety. Yet the shields protecting them never wavered.
Even when a soldier was struck by lightning and vanished into dust in the blinding light, another immediately took his place, sheltering the living souls behind them, never allowing a single injury to fall upon the crowd.
Ye Li watched the old Fengdu’s wrath with a cold eye, letting out a scornful laugh, completely unbothered.
To him, a true opponent was someone like the general, someone like the Great Dao.
As for the wretched, pitiful old Fengdu who clung to life and fled in disgrace… he didn’t even deserve to stand before Ye Li.
Ye Li pointed a finger toward the heavens. His voice was low, but each word struck with unshakable force: “Above and below the heavens.”
Then his palm slashed downward with power.
“A thousand rays of divine might—!”
In an instant, black mist erupted from where Ye Li stood, sweeping through the entire underworld.
The moment the mist touched the ground, it transformed into vicious beasts, roaring as they charged toward the lightning, climbing through the blinding brilliance as if ascending a stairway to the sky. Eyes gleaming with ferocity, they lunged toward the old Fengdu’s spirit, hidden behind the celestial veil.
Each time a beast was shattered into black ash by lightning, another would step on its remains and leap toward the sky.
Thunder roared, deafening and endless.
The lightning seemed to be the old Fengdu’s furious shrieks, illuminating the land in bursts and splitting the underworld apart—mountains crumbled, the earth cracked.
Fierce ghosts seized the chaos to claw their way up from beneath the earth, eyes fixed greedily on the living souls, inching closer.
But as Ye Li’s final syllable fell, the world itself completed its transition. The new order was fully established, and all overlapping shadows vanished.
The true power of the new master of Fengdu finally revealed itself in full before everyone’s eyes.
And they could at last feel their limbs again—relief and joy surged as they discovered they could move.
Standing behind the protection of the warriors, they watched the monstrous tide gallop and roar, crushing all evil beneath their charge.
Their blades pointed straight at the fallen capital.
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