A Torrent of Ghostly Lies

Everyone in the temple rushed to circulate their Detailed Explanation of the True Vortex of the Dao, feeling their connection to the great temple weakening. They scrambled to rush outside.

From behind, the white-robed Nuo Immortal attacked.

A woman looked back and saw the white-robed Nuo Immortal with his back to her. His back split open to the sides, and his back seemed to transform into a monstrously large mouth.

The woman screamed. The next moment, she was swallowed whole by the white-robed Nuo Immortal!

The white-robed Nuo Immortal's skin writhed for a moment. When he opened it again, he spat out a skeleton and lunged at the others. He moved with light, ethereal grace, like the wind, drifting through the great temple. Each person he caught, he opened his back and swallowed them.

However, quite a few people managed to escape the temple. Xu Ying, carrying Yuan Qi, leaped forcefully onto a huge boulder. As Yuan Qi was about to jump to the next boulder, Xu Ying stopped him: "Don't move!"

He suddenly activated his sword qi and slashed down, splitting the boulder in two.

The boulder they were on couldn't bear their weight and slowly began to sink, as if a stone had fallen into water.

People rushing from behind saw this and did the same, jumping onto boulders and splitting them in two. However, there were too many people on the boulders, and they immediately plummeted down, their speed increasing.

On the boulders, a group of people clung to each other, screaming in terror.

Yuan Qi lay on the edge of a boulder, looking down and said, "At this speed, they probably won't survive the fall."

The others became much more cautious, not daring to cut away too much of the stone at once.

Suddenly, the great temple rumbled and shook. It seemed to sprout countless legs and rose from the ground, lunging at those who had escaped.

The white-robed Nuo Immortal's voice echoed, laughing: "I must have been confused. I forgot that I can't leave the temple to catch you, but I can make the temple chase you. That little brat who plays with swords and that scummy snake, where did you go?"

The temple gate chased after them like a gaping maw.

"Integrate into me, become me, and I will grant you supreme glory and eternal life!"

Xu Ying looked up and saw people constantly falling from the sky. They hadn't hit the ground yet, and their screams were endless.

Some people in the air walked on air, some traveled on clouds, and more, unable to fly, imitated them, jumping onto boulders to use their weight to make them fall.

However, from the edges of the immortal mountains, huge Deities leaped out. These Deities, in myriad forms, stepped on auspicious clouds to intercept them. There were also giant boulders that transformed into flesh and blood, wielding tentacle-like blood vessels to grab people everywhere.

Many died in an instant.

"A Ying, what's on your back? Is it a Nuo Master's magic treasure?" Yuan Qi suddenly asked, seeing the mask on Xu Ying's back.

Xu Ying was both surprised and delighted. He quickly took off the Wuchang Mask and smiled, "Little Qi, you are indeed knowledgeable. This is a mask I obtained by chance. An official from Yongzhou Prefecture put it on and transformed into a Wuchang Ghost, which was very strange."

Yuan Qi said, "I've read in books that Nuo Masters, when refining magic treasures, often capture powerful beings like Demon Gods and ghosts. They cut off their faces and then refine the essence of these powerful beings into the mask. Once refined, by wearing the mask, one can transform into the form of these powerful beings in life and possess their corresponding abilities. This mask of yours is likely the face of a Wuchang Ghost."

Xu Ying was startled and wanted to throw the mask away. After a moment's thought, he stopped himself.

The boulder they were on was still falling. Suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky. Xu Ying looked up and saw that it was Yongzhou's Prefect, Zhou Heng, and Prefect Ling, working together to attack the great temple!

A halo of light bloomed behind Zhou Heng's head, revealing a sea of chaos. Within the sea of chaos was an unfathomably deep Cave Heaven, its outer edges forming spiral patterns, extending into the dark void.

Within that Cave Heaven was a second Cave Heaven, clouds churning and rotating, forming the outer structure of this Cave Heaven, continuing deeper into the sea of chaos.

Within the second Cave Heaven was a third Cave Heaven, deeper into the sea of chaos than the second, which was truly astonishing.

Xu Ying looked closely and saw that behind the plump Yongzhou Prefect's head, five nested Cave Heavens and outer heavens appeared!

"Fishing for Ni Wan in the Sea of Chaos! This Yongzhou Prefect is a master. He has opened the fifth level of the Ni Wan Secret Treasury!"

Xu Ying was filled with envy. The ancient book, not entirely burned, in the stone chamber of Qin Yan Cave, stated that opening the Ni Wan Secret Treasury required the Great Nu Master's assistance, using the strongest blow to strike the Ni Wan's chaotic ovum, creating a Cave Heaven within the chaos, and fishing for Ni Wan's vitality from within the Cave Heaven.

In the past, Xu Ying had never quite understood how to fish for Ni Wan's vitality. But seeing Prefect Zhou Heng of Yongzhou confront the white-robed Nuo Immortal, he finally understood how it was done.

"The head is a sea of chaos, containing endless energy. The Cave Heaven is like a deep well, delving into the brain's chaos, like drawing water from a well, continuously drawing out energy from the sea of chaos," he thought silently.

Prefect Ling Youdao of Yongzhou's Ghost Prefecture, who had joined forces with Prefect Zhou Heng, also possessed astonishing cultivation and power. Wielding a judge's brush and a book of life and death, this Prefect's divine power was unparalleled. Countless golden characters flew from the book, bombarding the great temple.

He was a Prefect of the Underworld Court, enjoying the incense offerings of Yongzhou Prefecture. Not only commoners worshipped him, but the deities of Yongzhou's mountains, rivers, villages, and towns also had to worship him!

He had been operating in Yongzhou for far too long, and the Incense Qi was incredibly potent, even surpassing many of the stone Deities in the five immortal mountains!

However, even with the combined efforts of these two great masters, they were in grave danger before the great temple.

The great temple was the white-robed Nuo Immortal's Hidden Scenery and Sublimation ground. Countless manifestations of the Great Dao formed the temple's waterfalls and vegetation. Every scenic element was a terrifyingly powerful divine ability!

The white-robed Nuo Immortal stood behind the temple gate, lightly waving his hand or subtly pointing his finger. Terrifying divine abilities flew out from the waterfalls, striking the two masters until they vomited blood and retreated continuously.

Suddenly, a divine ability's residual wave descended from the sky and struck the boulder where Xu Ying and the others were with a zing. A corner of the boulder immediately flew off and floated into the sky.

Xu Ying and Yuan Qi stared blankly. The boulder beneath their feet immediately plummeted downwards, falling towards the ground.

They were still several miles from the ground. At this speed, they would undoubtedly be smashed to pieces!

Xu Ying hurriedly leaped from the boulder and shouted, "Yuan Qi, wait for me at the temple gate!"

Yuan Qi's body, over thirty feet long, wrapped around the boulder and trembled. However, after the boulder fell a hundred feet, its downward speed gradually slowed, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked up and saw lightning flashing and thunder roaring in the sky, like a surging torrent. It was the phenomena caused by the divine abilities of the white-robed Nuo Immortal, Prefect Zhou Heng, and Prefect Ling!

In this chaotic space, a tiny figure could be vaguely seen riding an ancient bronze bell, weaving through the lightning. Then, a surging flood swept in, carrying the bell-rider and the bell away to an unknown location.

"A Ying will surely be blessed by good fortune," Yuan Qi thought silently.

Xu Ying rode the bell forward through the violent storm and flood, tossed about by the wind and rain, like a small boat on a stormy sea. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck, hitting the bell's wall.

The great bell rang out with a dong. Countless complex and profound patterns appeared on the bell's wall, forming a thick, luminous barrier that rotated and repelled the surrounding divine ability aftershocks!

The great bell unleashed its power, but it was also struck so hard that its form became unstable. It carried Xu Ying, tumbling and crashing into an adjacent immortal mountain.

The mountain forest was instantly swept away in a large area. Immediately, the bronze bell sprang up and fell again. The sound of the bell rang through the valley, startling the awakened divine statues in the mountain, who all looked up and followed the sound.

Xu Ying staggered to his feet, feeling an unbearable pain in every limb. The great bell beside him was also emitting smoke, its surface covered in chaotic patterns.

Suddenly, the mountain forest vibrated and roared, indicating a clash of powerful beings. Xu Ying crept forward and hid behind a rock, peeking cautiously. His heart skipped a beat.

He saw a Ghost-faced Deity swing its sword, severing the head of a ferocious ape!

The headless body of the ferocious ape rapidly shrunk, transforming into a middle-aged man. His head rolled off, returning to its normal appearance from that of the ape. His eyes were wide open, staring in death.

"Yongzhou Judicial Inspector, Zhou Zheng!" Xu Ying's heart pounded violently as he hid behind the rock.

Zhou Zheng possessed extraordinary strength. He never expected such a powerful being to die at the hands of the Ghost-faced Deity. It was evident how terrifying the Ghost-faced Deity's strength was!

The Ghost-faced Deity suddenly turned its head, its gaze sharp, sweeping towards their location.

Xu Ying quickly ducked back.

The Great Bell hurriedly said, "A Ying, this is bad! The Ghost-faced God is coming this way!"

On the other side of the rock, heavy footsteps approached. Clearly, the Ghost-faced Deity had detected his presence!

Xu Ying suppressed his racing heart and said, "Uncle Bell, I've raised you for a thousand days, now is the time to use you! Can you be as mighty as you were just now?"

"Raised my ass!"

The Great Bell cursed, "If you had truly raised me for a thousand days, I would have beaten ten Ghost-faced Gods to death! The key is that you haven't raised me for that long! This Ghost-faced God is much stronger than the City God. I'm no match for it right now!"

Cold sweat beaded on Xu Ying's forehead. "Then, can we run?"

"Definitely can't outrun it!"

The Ghost-faced Deity vaguely heard voices from behind the rock. With a ferocious expression, it approached the rock and suddenly peered over, revealing its menacing appearance.

When it saw the "person" hiding behind the rock, it couldn't help but be stunned. It let out a roar of displeasure, but its killing intent gradually subsided.

There was no one behind the rock. Instead, a Wuchang Ghost God, about ten feet tall, was hiding there.

The Wuchang was gaunt and bone-thin, its face deathly pale without a trace of blood. A long, scarlet tongue hung out of its mouth.

Wuchang were common ghost gods in the Underworld, and the Ghost-faced God was not unfamiliar with them. However, this Wuchang appeared even thinner, looking malnourished. It also seemed incredibly timid, hiding behind the rock and trembling.

The Ghost-faced God said to the Wuchang Ghost, "Ha hū hū lu (Hold this)!" With that, it handed a bloody cloth bag to the Wuchang Ghost.

The Wuchang Ghost nodded repeatedly, reaching out to take the cloth bag. The bag had been taken from Zhou Zheng's person.

The Ghost-faced God walked ahead and said without looking back, "Bó yě hū lu (Follow me)!"

The Wuchang Ghost followed obediently, one foot dragging behind the other.

Suddenly, the Ghost-faced Deity lunged forward with murderous intent. The Wuchang Ghost quickly peered ahead and saw dozens of disciples from various martial sects attacking another Deity. That Deity had an ox head and a human body, was covered in wounds, and was on the verge of collapse.

However, with the outrageously powerful Ghost-faced Deity intervening, the dozens of Nu Masters were quickly slaughtered!

The Ghost-faced God, covered in blood, beckoned to the Wuchang Ghost.

The Wuchang Ghost obediently walked over, holding the cloth bag.

Another Ox-headed Deity carefully plucked two Myriad Spirit Pills from the pool of blood and said to the Wuchang Ghost, "Sōu hā hū lu (Open up)!"

The Wuchang Ghost quickly opened the cloth bag. The Ox-headed Deity placed the Myriad Spirit Pills into the bag and said to the Ghost-faced God, "Bō sè bō sè hū lu (This kid looks shifty)!"

The Ghost-faced God replied, "Hóng bó dān hū lu (Coward)!"

The Ox-headed Deity chuckled and tugged at the Wuchang Ghost's long tongue.

Xu Ying almost cried out. That Wuchang Ghost was naturally him.

He had no escape route behind the rock earlier. With a flash of inspiration, he took off the Wuchang Mask and put it on.

This was Xu Ying's first time wearing such a Nu Master artifact. He didn't know if he could transform into a Wuchang Ghost, but fortunately, once the mask was on his face, he indeed transformed into an Underworld ghost god, managing to pass undetected.

Strangely enough, after putting on the mask and transforming into a Wuchang Ghost, he could understand the nonsensical ghost language of the two deities without any prior learning.

But when the Ox-headed Deity tugged his tongue, it almost pulled off the Wuchang Mask, scaring him so badly he almost fled.

The Ox-headed Deity released his tongue. The two tall Deities walked side by side, sandwiching Xu Ying in the middle, heading towards the mountaintop.

In Xu Ying's mind, the Great Bell's voice echoed, filled with worry, "A Ying, how long can this mask last? What if there's a time limit..."

"Then we're dead!" Xu Ying whispered.

The Ox-headed Deity and the Ghost-faced God suddenly turned their heads in unison, looking at him with suspicion. They had clearly heard his voice.

Xu Ying maintained a calm expression and said, "Bó hā bó hā, nà mó bó hā (I am newly dead, I can speak human language)!"

The two Deities, without further suspicion, continued walking up the mountain.

Sandwiched between them, Xu Ying quietly opened the cloth bag and peeked inside, his heart pounding. Inside this bag were seven or eight Myriad Spirit Pills. He surmised that some of them must have been collected by Zhou Zheng!

They arrived at another altar. The Ghost-faced God opened its mouth and spat out several souls, allowing the divine statue before the altar to absorb them.

The divine statue revived and spoke a few words of ghost language with them before joining the group.

As they walked, the Ghost-faced God revived one divine statue after another. Thirteen Deities were added to Xu Ying's side. Besides the statues they revived, there were also Deities who had arrived from other immortal mountains.

Xu Ying, transformed into a Wuchang Ghost, stood about ten feet tall. However, compared to these Deities, he was still a tiny figure, appearing extremely small among the many Deities that were five or six feet tall.

If the Deity had any Myriad Spirit Pills on hand, they would have Xu Ying open his cloth bag and place them inside.

Before long, the cloth bag was filled with a full fifteen Myriad Spirit Pills!

"With so many Myriad Spirit Pills, if I were to pocket them and run..."

Xu Ying's eyes darted around as he thought, "I'd surely die a terrible death, right?"

The Myriad Spirit Pills were likely offerings from the Deities to the white-robed Nuo Immortal, and these Deities gathered together were probably heading to the great temple to pay homage to the white-robed Nuo Immortal and present the spirit pills!

Therefore, this was a pilgrimage!

"But for me, it's a journey to the end!" he thought to himself.