River of Oblivion Diversion Incident

A thunderous roar like mountains collapsing and the earth cracking reached the foot of the mountain. The waters of the River of Oblivion had already swallowed the mountain's base, and the surging river water rose higher and higher, spreading towards the mountain, eroding everything in its path!

Xu Ying and the snake demon Yuan Qi rushed back into the dilapidated temple one after the other. Suddenly, they felt the weather turn incredibly cold. The snake demon became groggy, almost falling into hibernation from the chill.

"Yuan Qi, quickly circulate your Blood Essence, don't freeze to death!" Xu Ying shouted urgently.

They circulated their Blood Essence to warm themselves, but the cold seemed to penetrate their very bones, difficult to dispel even with Blood Essence.

Xu Ying tremblingly activated the Great Sun Body Tempering, feeling slightly warmer.

He clapped his hands together forcefully in front of his chest, then crossed them sharply. A burst of fire erupted from his palms, reigniting the extinguished bonfire.

As the man and the snake approached the bonfire, they saw its color had turned a ghastly green. From within the green flames, old men's faces occasionally emerged, their eyes rolled back, mouths agape in silent screams, an utterly chilling sight!

"No wonder this temple is so dilapidated, the Feng Shui here is bad!" the snake demon Yuan Qi shivered in fear.

At the foot of the mountain, a man in yellow robes, accompanied by five strange figures, was speeding up the mountain.

"True Yang Vitality, impervious to Yin and Evil!"

The man in yellow robes chanted as he ran, and suddenly, a strong True Yang energy erupted from within him, repelling the Yin and Evil energies brought by the River of Oblivion.

His True Yang Vitality was incredibly potent and domineering. The surroundings were like a giant furnace, unbearably hot, yet it carried a heavy Demonic Energy.

Under the influence of his Demonic Energy, the five strange figures beside him involuntarily revealed their true forms, transforming into monstrous beasts of enormous size!

This man in yellow robes was the Mountain God of this stone mountain, named Huang Siping. He usually resided in the Mountain God Temple and was revered as the Stone Mountain God. His five strange subordinates were monsters guarding the Stone Mountain God Temple, mere creatures like muntjacs, wild foxes, wild dogs, and mountain cats.

They guarded the stone mountain under the City God's orders, searching everywhere for Xu Ying's whereabouts. They intended to return to the Mountain God Temple at midnight but instead heard the booming sound of Yuan Qi's breakthrough, so they came to investigate.

As soon as they reached the mountain, the River of Oblivion surged towards them, cutting off their escape route. They had no choice but to flee desperately up the mountain!

The Stone Mountain God Huang Siping led the monsters, accelerating their pace. However, the River of Oblivion was rising too quickly, and soon swallowed a fox demon!

As the fox demon fell into the water, its fur and flesh instantly dissolved, leaving only a withered skeleton that was swept away by the waves.

The monsters' scalps tingled, and they ran for their lives. In the moonlight, they saw figures moving in the distance. The Stone Mountain God Huang Siping looked and was stunned: "The Grass Head Gods from Dengjiapu, Wujialing, Laobutou, and other villages! They've come too!"

The deities in villages and towns were Grass Head Gods, souls of virtuous individuals who became deities after death and resided in their statues. Huang Siping, however, was a great demon who cultivated to the Seventh Level of Martial Arts and was enfeoffed as a Mountain God, a flesh-and-blood deity.

Although both absorbed incense and offerings from the common people, there was a fundamental difference between them.

Those Grass Head Gods ran for their lives, one after another being swept into the surging waves of the River of Oblivion. Their statues shattered, and their souls were carried away by the river, vanishing without a trace.

The four monsters beside the Stone Mountain God Huang Siping could not escape either, and were subsequently swallowed by the River of Oblivion.

Huang Siping was about to reach the dilapidated temple when he saw someone else rushing from the other side of the temple – a man dressed as an official, in black and red robes.

The two met, both startled, and adopted defensive stances.

"So it's Lord Warden Wei," the yellow fur on the Stone Mountain God Huang Siping's face twitched slightly.

The official in black and red robes was the one who had rescued Ding Quan, named Wei Chu. He was one of the eight Wardens of Lingling County. During the day, he had led two other Wardens in pursuing Xu Ying and had rescued Ding Quan. However, they had been unable to find Xu Ying throughout the chase.

He had also come after hearing the booming sound of Yuan Qi's breakthrough. As soon as he reached the mountain, the River of Oblivion had changed course, and its waves had swallowed his two colleagues!

Losing two Nu Masters made Wei Chu's heart pound.

"So it's the Stone Mountain God," Wei Chu's eyes twitched, and he said with a forced smile.

The City God and the County Magistrate Zhou Yang were at odds. Both wanted to control Lingling, and they had been in a covert struggle for many years. As a result, the officials of Lingling and the deities under the City God were somewhat hostile to each other.

Especially the case of Xu Ying slaying a deity this time had escalated the tension, with both sides issuing kill orders against the other's faction!

Wei Chu did not fear any Grass Head God, but the Stone Mountain God Huang Siping was a Demon King enfeoffed as a deity, possessing great power, and could be considered his formidable rival!

The Stone Mountain God Huang Siping carried a ten-foot-long Hundred Refinements Horse-Slaying Saber on his back. He drew the saber into his hand, his courage bolstered, and said, "The River of Oblivion has changed course, and we are all facing annihilation. Lord Wei, if we fight, we will both be injured. If we join forces to overcome this, there is still a chance of survival. What do you think?"

Wei Chu frowned and looked behind Huang Siping. The River of Oblivion was still rising, threatening to engulf them. At this moment, the only high ground on the stone mountain was the dilapidated temple before them.

If they were to fight, they could fall into the water at any moment and perish.

Wei Chu nodded and said, "In the face of such great disaster, we must indeed help each other. Let's forget our past grievances."

The two entered the dilapidated temple and saw a young man and a large snake huddled around a bonfire, warming themselves. The bonfire glowed a sickly green, and ghosts continuously emerged from it.

"Prisoner Xu Ying, do you recognize this official?" Wei Chu said with an air of authority, his official bearing heavy.

Xu Ying quickly clutched the silver in his sleeve, warily saying, "Lord Wei, I have no money for you."

He had seen officials extorting money. Commoners would usually smile obsequiously and offer the money with both hands. The official would not look at the money, maintaining a high posture while secretly pocketing it, and would even say something like, "You must not do this again."

Xu Ying had no money before, but now that he had finally obtained a few taels of silver, he intended to save it to escape to another place and use it as a betrothal gift to marry a wife. He did not want to give it to him.

"Insolent peasant! What is in your sleeve?" Wei Chu sneered. "I have cultivated Fiery Golden Eyes, so I can tell whether you have silver or not with a single glance! However, I cannot accept your silver. The case you are involved in is too serious, and I cannot absolve you. The County Magistrate has ordered that your life be taken."

Xu Ying breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a little pleased. "It's good that Sir wants my life and not my money. If you want my life, I'll kill you. If you want money, I really don't want to give it."

Wei Chu snorted and glanced at Huang Siping, "Stone Mountain God, do you want his life or his money?"

"Both money and life, I want both!" Huang Siping's expression was indifferent. "The City God ordered that his life be taken. I am working for the City God, so naturally, I shouldn't ask for money. After killing him, I will search his corpse for money. I can't work for free!"

Wei Chu narrowed his eyes and secretly reached into his sleeve, smiling. "Rebel Xu Ying, you killed Steward Jiang. This is a case in the Mortal Realm."

The yellow fur on Huang Siping's face twitched, and his hand tightened on the Hundred Refinements Horse-Slaying Saber. "Steward Jiang's deity was enfeoffed by the Underworld Court. Xu Ying slaying a deity is an offense against the laws of the Underworld."

Wei Chu smiled insincerely and withdrew his hand from his sleeve. "The River of Oblivion is passing through. Unity brings mutual benefit, while conflict leads to mutual injury. Stone Mountain God, let's each take a step back. How about we settle our dispute after the River of Oblivion has passed?"

Huang Siping nodded silently.

Wei Chu sat by the campfire and glanced at Xu Ying, saying, "As a snake catcher, you've got some skills, but why become a thief?"

Xu Ying's gaze was fixed on the ghosts screaming in the campfire as they were burned. His lips twitched, "If the gods and officials don't leave us a way to live, commoners like me can only kill them and find our own way."

Huang Siping sat opposite Wei Chu, showing a rare smile. "Benefactor Xu, you have a natural talent for getting your head chopped off."

Wei Chu chuckled, "That's demonic nature. Xu Ying, your demonic nature is untamable. If you don't commit a crime today, you will eventually commit one. Look at the Stone Mountain God; he's been well-tamed."

Huang Siping said faintly, "Lord Wei, you're a dog for the Zhou family, and I'm a dog for the Underworld Court. We're all the same. Why should one criticize the other?"

Wei Chu smiled, unconcerned.

Xu Ying stood up and looked outside the temple. The floodwaters were surging, still rising and already reaching the entrance of the dilapidated temple. The water level was rising more slowly now, but it wouldn't be long before the temple was submerged!

He looked around. Besides the dilapidated temple, there was no higher ground to escape the River of Oblivion.

"Do you two lords know what's going on with the River of Oblivion changing its course?" Xu Ying turned around and asked.

Huang Siping and Wei Chu sat by the constantly haunted campfire, warming themselves. The firelight cast a greenish glow on their faces.

Wei Chu's smile held a sinister edge. "According to ancient legends, there's a river in the underworld called the River of Oblivion, which transports the souls of the dead. This long river has its own rules in the underworld and rarely changes its course. Only one thing can cause the River of Oblivion to change its course."

Xu Ying asked, "What is it?"

Wei Chu's eyes glowed green in the firelight as he smiled, "A large-scale death in the mortal realm."

Xu Ying was puzzled. "Why would a large-scale death cause the River of Oblivion to change its course?"

Wei Chu didn't answer.

Huang Siping explained, "The River of Oblivion is the long river that guides the souls of the dead. Originally, there were tributaries of the River of Oblivion throughout the mortal realm. The number of people dying each day was within a certain range, and they could be guided along the tributaries. But if a large number of people die, far exceeding the original number, the tributaries of the River of Oblivion cannot handle it, and the main course of the River of Oblivion will change because of it!"

He paused. "In other words, there has been an event of large-scale death in the direction the River of Oblivion flows."

Xu Ying looked in the direction the River of Oblivion was flowing. It was to the west.

"What exactly happened west of Lingling? Why has the River of Oblivion from the underworld come into the mortal realm?"

Xu Ying continued to ask, "Isn't it said that the mortal and underworld realms are ordered? The underworld is the underworld, and the mortal realm is the mortal realm, each with its own principles of operation. Why is the River of Oblivion invading the mortal realm?"

"A good question!" Wei Chu praised, but he didn't answer, as he didn't know the answer himself.

Huang Siping also fell silent.

Yuan Qi couldn't help but interject, "The underworld invading the mortal realm happened a long time ago. Changes in the River of Oblivion have also occurred frequently. As early as eight hundred years ago, there was a change in the River of Oblivion, and the underworld invaded the mortal realm. Then, in the fourteenth year of Tianbao, there was another change in the River of Oblivion."

Wei Chu and Huang Siping looked at him simultaneously, their expressions filled with doubt.

The rebellion of the Prince of Dongping in the fourteenth year of Tianbao had caused many deaths, which could indeed lead to a change in the River of Oblivion. But what had happened eight hundred years ago that even an old monster like Huang Siping didn't know about? How could Yuan Qi, a mere snake demon, know so much?

"My family has many books, and I enjoy reading," Yuan Qi said refinedly. "My ancestors and I have all enjoyed reading. We have accumulated countless books over three hundred years. My family has a deep scholarly tradition; we are a family of scholars..."

Wei Chu interrupted him, "What's the use of reading? Can you become an official?"

Yuan Qi looked a little wronged and stopped talking.

The water level of the River of Oblivion rose and finally surged into the dilapidated temple. Xu Ying and the others immediately got up and jumped onto the temple roof.

However, they all knew that if the water level of the River of Oblivion continued to rise, it would inevitably submerge the dilapidated temple, and the water of the River of Oblivion would dissolve their flesh and blood!

Wei Chu's eyes flickered. He glanced at Xu Ying, Huang Siping, and the snake demon Yuan Qi, thinking, Although the River of Oblivion devours flesh and blood, it doesn't seem to dissolve bones. If the river water rises further, I'll have no choice but to kill them and use their bones as stepping stones!

He suddenly noticed Huang Siping's gaze flickering as he secretly observed him. A chill ran down his spine. The Stone Mountain God must be thinking the same thing as me!

The water level rose higher and higher, gradually invading the Great Hall of Heroes of the dilapidated temple. The River of Oblivion also poured into the backyard, and the water level was about to reach the well beneath the bell in the pavilion.

Just as Wei Chu was about to make a move to kill them and use their corpses as stepping stones, a brilliant light suddenly erupted from the dilapidated temple, shooting straight into the sky and almost blinding everyone!

The dazzling divine light shot into the sky and then exploded with a bang!

CLANG--

A resonant bell chime echoed. The exploding light transformed into a massive bell-shaped halo that covered the dilapidated temple. As the bell chime vibrated, it repelled the surrounding River of Oblivion water!

On the roof of the dilapidated temple, Xu Ying and the others were horrified. They looked around and saw that the large bell surrounding the temple was a tangible object – a thick wall of light!

Various strange patterns appeared and disappeared on the light wall, forming different images.

Outside this luminous bell, the River of Oblivion surged, its water level rising higher and higher. Under the impact of the floodwaters, ferocious ghosts with grotesque faces repeatedly crashed against the bell wall, only to be turned into wisps of smoke by the bell's resonance!

Xu Ying and the others felt the weather warm up again, no longer chilling to the bone.

"It's the bell in the pavilion in the backyard!"

Xu Ying realized and looked towards the pavilion. He saw that the pavilion was bathed in brilliant light, which emanated from the surface of the rusty bronze bell.

They descended from the roof and came to the edge of the pavilion. Wei Chu wondered, "I didn't expect such a treasure to be hidden in a mere dilapidated temple. But why is such a treasure left here, with no one taking it?"

Suddenly, the stone mountain beneath their feet began to shake violently, earth-shattering tremors!

Xu Ying and the other two hurriedly grabbed onto the pavilion pillars to steady themselves, their faces filled with surprise and uncertainty.

The great bronze bell hanging in the pavilion shone even brighter, dazzlingly radiant. The light shone into the well, illuminating the dark bottom. Xu Ying suddenly caught sight of huge black iron scales sliding at the bottom of the well!

It was the body of a colossal creature!

He leaned over the well and looked closely.

Suddenly, the black iron scales stopped moving and parted to the sides.

In the pitch-black well, a blue eye with a vertical pupil filled the bottom, staring at him with a faint glow.

Countless whispering voices flooded Xu Ying's mind, filling his head with thousands of thoughts in an instant.