Chapter 150: Avatar of the Ghost Emperor

Thump, thump, thump! Thump, thump, thump!

The sound of footsteps approached from afar, and with each strike, the ground trembled violently. It was not the power of a formation, but a creature of flesh and blood drawing ever closer. Everyone present understood exactly what it was, their expressions and gazes tense to the breaking point.

"It seems the star chart formation outside was a complete trap. The vitality of all living things will eventually be absorbed by the Netherworld Formation to resurrect the idol of the Ghost Emperor."

"Hmph, I suspect it is not just vitality, but also the spiritual power of hundreds of Onmyoji. It is just that those outside cannot perceive it."

Wang Qi sneered repeatedly, gripping his blade with both hands as he stared at the street corner. The ground shook so severely that even the monsters surrounding them struggled to maintain their forms. Lu Xin began to worry about the state of Yue Buhei; if the fox were discovered by the Ghost Emperor's idol, the consequences would be unimaginable. Yet, neither he nor the two factions—the Shangxuan Heaven Sect and the Netherworld Sect—dared to act rashly.

"Little brother, I know you are anxious and worried about whether that demon fox will meet with misfortune. But for now, we can only wait. If he cannot find the Yellow Springs Hall and shut down the formation, everyone here will die."

"Heh, to be honest, I do not trust you. You are a Han Chinese and a disciple of the Netherworld Sect, yet you infiltrated the Turkic marriage alliance mission. For what purpose? Nothing more than to use Ashina Nami to assassinate Li Chengqian and provoke a war between the Great Tang and the Turks. Your schemes are too vast. Once war breaks out between the two nations, the suffering brought upon the common people will far exceed anything this formation could inflict."

"Hahahaha, little brother, the truth is often far more complex than you imagine. Ashina Nami is an outstanding disciple of our sect; how could we bear to let her put herself in such danger? If the people at the Supreme Court were not incompetent, they would have already discovered the secret on that corpse. I can tell you only one thing now: it was not my Netherworld Sect that wanted to destroy the Great Tang, but Ashina Duobi himself. Even without this assassination attempt on the Crown Prince, a war between the two nations was inevitable."

"Enough! At a moment of life and death, you still have the mind to discuss state affairs? If the people are lost, where does the nation remain? It is here. Retreat, quickly!"

As soon as Huang Yuyi finished speaking, the flying sword hovering above his head streaked out, only to be instantly swatted down by a massive palm descending from the sky. Huang Yuyi vomited a mouthful of blood. Lu Xin looked up and saw the colossal body of the Ghost Emperor’s idol bowing its head, its crimson eyes fixed on the group. The figure stood dozens of zhang tall; a single hand could cover them all. In front of this living idol, even powerhouses like Huang Yuyi and Wang Qi seemed as insignificant as ants.

"Go! Run, quickly!"

Seeing Huang Yuyi cough up blood, Wang Qi, who had intended to fight, immediately withdrew his stance. With a roar, he led his men to flee in the opposite direction. Lu Xin dared not linger and followed close behind. As for the people of the Shangxuan Heaven Sect, he could not afford to worry about them.

The group charged through the streets like headless flies for a while, only to realize they could not shake off the Ghost Emperor’s idol. The entity was simply too large; unless they could move ten times faster, they could not escape its field of vision. Five minutes later, the two Netherworld Sect disciples leading the charge were struck by the axes of a dozen monsters, and the group’s speed slowed instantly. By now, even Wang Qi was panting, having exhausted too much of his strength.

With monsters gathering from all sides and a powerful pursuer behind them, continuing to run was clearly no solution.

"Junior brothers, at the demon fox's speed, he should be reaching the location of the ancient well soon. We only need to hold on for a moment longer to survive. Listen to my command—form the array!"

Wang Qi clearly understood that continuing to run would only lead to a faster death. He halted his steps and roared the order. At his command, the remaining Netherworld Sect disciples each produced two talismans, one black and one yellow, which quickly ignited. Soon, a dark cloud gathered above their heads, and thousands of lightning bolts descended, manifesting a violet-blue barrier around them.

Looking up, the surface of the barrier rippled like clear flowing water. The moment it formed, dozens of monsters lunged at it, but none could pass through. Furthermore, any contact with the outer wall resulted in an electrical strike sufficient to paralyze the monsters for minutes. Seeing this, Lu Xin, who had been incredibly tense throughout, finally let out a sigh of relief.

Glancing back, the Shangxuan Heaven Sect’s party, originally six, was now reduced to four. Huang Yuyi was severely wounded, covered in blood. Fortunately, the four maintained a flow of spiritual power, their flying swords weaving through the air. With the Netherworld Sect clearing the path ahead, few monsters could get close. Yet, the Ghost Emperor’s idol continued to kill from behind, its every stride covering countless houses.

"Wang Qi, open the barrier immediately!"

Huang Yuyi arrived at the edge of the barrier, wielding his flying sword, gasping for breath. The other three appeared equally exhausted. At these words, Wang Qi’s expression flickered, and he did not answer at first.

"Hmph, do you think a mere water-element barrier can stop the incarnation of the Ghost Emperor? Without our help, you won't last a moment longer."

"Senior brother, these people are at their wit's end; don't mind them. Opening the barrier will inevitably create a gap. Once the monsters swarm in, we won't be able to hold on."

"That’s right. The Shangxuan Heaven Sect has always been arrogant, never looking upon our Netherworld Sect with respect. Now, let them rely on their own abilities."

Huang Yuyi’s plight earned no sympathy; all the Netherworld Sect disciples opposed opening a gap. However, after pondering for a moment, Wang Qi slashed his blade against the barrier, carving out a fan-shaped opening. Huang Yuyi rejoiced and led his men to dash inside. Almost the moment they entered, the Ghost Emperor’s idol opened its mouth again, spewing a blood-red beam of light that obliterated everything outside the barrier.

Once inside, Huang Yuyi sat cross-legged to heal without a word. He retrieved a medicinal pill from his robe and swallowed it; the color quickly returned to his face. The Netherworld Sect disciples looked on with sour expressions.

"A supreme-grade Soul-Returning Pill. You are indeed highly favored by the Shangxuan Heaven Sect. Even my master would not be so generous to me."

"Heh, your surname is Wang. If I am not mistaken, you must belong to the most powerful lineage of the Netherworld Sect—a descendant of the founder, Wang Li. Forget a single supreme pill; even consuming an immortal elixir is not impossible. Brother Wang Qi, we are both sensible people; there is no need for such probing."

"Wang Li?" Lu Xin frowned. The name sounded familiar. After thinking for a moment, a figure popped into his mind. "Right, the Battle of Julu! The Hegemon Xiang Yu burned his boats and cauldrons, defeating forty thousand Qin troops with only a few thousand, pushing the Qin Dynasty to the edge of the abyss. And one of the commanders of the Qin army was indeed Wang Li."

Lu Xin’s realization caused his view of Wang Qi to shift entirely.

"I remember clearly that when Lu Tingfang lectured on the Battle of Julu, he specifically mentioned Wang Li. He was the grandson of Wang Jian and one of the strongest generals under the Second Emperor of Qin. Lu Tingfang said the historical records on Wang Li stop at his defeat and capture. Whether he lived or died, or what happened after his capture, was unknown—which he found strange. Now it seems, not only did Wang Li survive, but he became the founder of the Netherworld Sect?"

Combining the approximate timeline of the Netherworld Sect’s founding with the historical records of Wang Li, the information indeed aligned. This also explained why Wang Qi referred to himself as a Han Chinese. What chilled Lu Xin to the bone was that the Wang family had been generals of the Qin for generations. Though Wang Li was defeated, his loyalty to the Qin Dynasty likely remained fierce. How could such a man watch the empire built by his ancestors and father be handed over to others?

"Liu Bang had too many talented men around him—Zhang Liang, Xiao He, Han Xin—all geniuses of the age. After the world was unified, Wang Li must have found no opportunity. But things are different now. With the Netherworld Sect having accumulated power for a thousand years, perhaps they intend to contend for the Central Plains and restore the rule of the Great Qin."

The more Lu Xin thought, the more he felt Wang Qi was hiding countless secrets. The Great Tang’s declaration of war against the Turks must involve the calculations of the Netherworld Sect. As for Wang Qi’s words, Lu Xin could no longer distinguish truth from lies.

"Hahahaha, Brother Huang, you overestimate me. If I could consume an immortal elixir, I would have no need to fear these things. As for you, if you do not act now, it will be too late."

Wang Qi’s voice shifted from calm to cold. As he spoke the last word, the sky outside the barrier suddenly turned pitch black. Looking up, a massive palm descended like a mountain range.

Boom!

A terrifying tremor resonated throughout the heavens. The barrier flickered violently, oscillating between light and dark. Blood trickled from the corners of the Netherworld Sect disciples' mouths, and even Wang Qi groaned, stumbling.

Seeing the barrier remained unbroken, the Ghost Emperor’s idol roared in frustration. Its fists then rained down like a storm, and the barrier quickly shattered, resembling a lake surface struck by heavy boulders.

"Huang Yuyi, what are you waiting for? I cannot hold on much longer!"

"Hmph, if you fail, everyone dies."

With a cold snort, Huang Yuyi stood up abruptly, eyes closed, holding his sword with both hands as he chanted incantations rapidly. The other three Shangxuan Heaven Sect disciples did the same. As the incantations grew faster and louder, thousands of sword auras appeared above the barrier, condensing into a massive sword formation. The Ghost Emperor’s idol’s fists struck the formation, unable to break through for a moment. Simultaneously, countless rays of sword light surged from the formation, slashing toward the Ghost Emperor’s head.

"With my current cultivation, this Profound Light Sword Formation can only be maintained for thirty breaths. If that demon fox has not yet retrieved the item, there is truly no other way."

Huang Yuyi spoke in a low voice, his eyes fixed intently on Lu Xin. This genius disciple of the Shangxuan Heaven Sect also seemed to be at his wit's end. Meanwhile, Yue Buhei had just arrived at the edge of an ancient well.