The Old Daoist Burns Three Paths Mountain
Wu Zhao walked three steps in front of the ox, chanted a spell, and grabbed at the ox's chest.
The cow's chest was slightly sunken, and he held a blood-soaked cow's heart in his hand.
Li Qingxian took the ox heart, walked to the dug pit, wrapped the ox heart and ox tail in a bundle, put them in the pit, and personally filled it in with a shovel.
"Dogs symbolize loyalty, sheep symbolize filial piety, and oxen symbolize kindness. The ox's head leads the way, its tail returns the soul, and its heart is the cycle of reincarnation."
After Li Qingxian finished speaking, he filled the pit, placed the Ox Tomb tablet on it, and gently chanted a soothing incantation.
After reciting the three recitations of the Soul-Soothing Incantation, Li Qingxian walked to the seven bowls of ox blood. He pressed his right index, middle, and ring fingers together into each of the seven bowls and then lifted them up. Finally, he used the three fingers stained with ox blood to draw a horizontal line across his forehead, staining his eyebrows Bloodstained and sliding down his nose and sides.
Pick up the blood-stained red cloth and wrap it around two cow horns.
Tie one end of the blood-stained long red rope to the cow's horn and the other end to the cow's body.
Finally, wash both hands thoroughly in a bowl of clean water.
Having prepared everything, Li Qingxian took a deep breath and looked ahead.
A gray fog enveloped the sky and earth, and the houses on both sides of the road looked like black mountains blocking people's hearts.
Zhou Chunfeng is still standing still.
Li Qingxian arranged the seven bowls of ox blood in the shape of the Big Dipper, holding seven white candles in his left hand, and said, "Daren Wu, I will now use magic to light the seven candles. This process is the most energy-consuming, so please bear with me."
"Please feel free to cast your spell," Wu Zhao said, stepping forward and placing his right hand on Li Qingxian's back. A gentle breeze blew by, causing their clothes to flutter.
Feeling his magical power rapidly filling his body, Li Qingxian took a white candle with his right hand, held it horizontally in front of him, and recited the incantation for the Ox-Cutting Technique .
"Starlight illuminates the earth, eyes connect with torches, guiding the ox and pointing the way, dispelling evil with blood, Eastern Heavenly General, Southern Divine Envoy, Western Merit Officer, Northern Judge, illuminating all directions, soaring to the heavens and falling to the earth, hasten as the law commands!"
After reciting the incantation, Li Qingxian felt his magical power instantly drain away and flow into the white candle in his right hand.
The white candles are lit, their flames a deep blue.
Li Qingxian bent down and placed the candle in the bowl of cow's blood.
The candle, when dipped in blood, did not sink but floated on top, remaining stable and unmoved.
Sensing Wu Zhao Zhaoyuan's continuous magical power, Li Qingxian chanted incantations and cast spells once more.
After the spell was cast seven times, at the very moment the seventh ox-blood candle was formed, a blue line of fire suddenly appeared between the seven lamps, connecting the seven blue candle flames into the Big Dipper.
The crimson bowl, the blue candle flame, and the surrounding gray mist slowly receded.
"It's been following me all this time," Li Qingxian said.
Li Qingxian lifted the cow's head with his left hand, grabbed its left foreleg with his right hand, and dragged the cow's body toward Zhou Chunfeng.
Wu Zhao followed closely behind, his palm pressed against Li Qingxian's back.
Standing a foot behind Zhou Chunfeng said, "If you fail, you might end up like me."
"So be it."
After Li Qingxian finished speaking, he passed Zhou Chunfeng and arrived at the intersection of the black road and the black-haired white road.
Throw the cow's head to the left side of the road with your left hand, and the cow's body to the right side of the road with your right hand.
The red rope between the head and body falls onto the white background and black hair, swaying gently with the black hair.
The road separates the head and body, connected by a red rope.
Li Qingxian recited the incantation for the Ox-Cutting Technique.
The incantation was completed, a fierce wind arose, the high-altitude fog dissipated, and starlight rained down from the sky.
"Moo..."
The dead bull's head floated into the air, and the bull's body twisted and stood up.
The red line between the bull's head and body is taut in mid-air.
The bull's head slowly turned, its pale eyes glancing at Li Qingxian before looking at Wu Zhao.
"Please, Ox Strongman, lead the way," Li Qingxian said, bowing.
The bull's head twisted a few times, its red horns making a rustling sound, and it turned its direction to face Three Paths Mountain and the Yellow Springs Gate.
"Moo..."
The bull roared to the sky, slowly drifting forward, its body and feet firmly planted on the yellow earth as it moved forward.
Blood dripped from the red rope between the head and body, and where the blood fell, black hair withered and white hair turned black.
The crowd watched silently as the decapitated ox slowly moved forward until it reached the threshold.
"Moo..."
The bull's head and body fell off together, twitched a few times on the ground, and then fell silent.
The white path between the black path and the threshold disappeared.
The white path between the threshold and the Yellow Springs Gate remains unchanged.
"Good lad! The Li Family's prodigy!" Wu Zhao couldn't help but slap Li Qingxian on the shoulder.
"You truly possess a talent for Fate Arts. Once you unravel the No-Return Road, you can move freely back and forth." Zhou Chunfeng walked over with a smile.
Li Qingxian breathed a long sigh of relief and said, "Luckily, if it weren't for Daren Wu, even if I knew this Ox-Cutting Technique, I wouldn't have been able to use it."
"Don't be modest, I'll solve the mystery of Three Paths Mountain!"
Wu Zhao walked up and stopped in front of the three Dao Sect.
He first took out Water-Pattern Bronze Basin and splashed it on the door frame. Then he took out Four-Colored Ritual Flags to set up an array. While chanting incantations, he threw down eighteen Thunderstruck Peachwood Tokens around him. After that, he took out Soul-Calming Ritual Bell- Astral Dipper Steps bell, and walked in a dazzling manner, chanting all kinds of incantations and constantly throwing out various magic weapons.
A full quarter of an hour passed, and he was drenched in sweat, with white steam rising from his head.
"Disease!"
With his back to everyone, Wu Zhao's clothes billowed and his long hair fluttered as flames suddenly erupted from his feet, engulfing him in flames.
He strode forward, his body flowing with fire as if it were water.
The instant he stepped across the threshold of Three Paths Mountain, flames instantly engulfed the stone door frame and the threshold of Three Paths Mountain.
Where my feet touched the ground, the white path turned black.
One step, one change from white to black.
Finally, Three Paths Mountain slowly sank into the ground, and Wu Zhao walked to the Yellow Springs Gate, where the white path turned completely black.
"Call..."
Wu Zhao let out a long breath, the flames dissipated, and he turned to walk back.
His originally long, jet-black beard was now one-third white.
"Old Wu..." Zhou Chunfeng sighed.
Li Qingxian then realized that the Three Paths Mountain was not so easy to break free from; it would consume his lifespan.
Wu Zhao walked back with a smile and said, "This is all I can do. As for the Yellow Springs Gate, I am helpless. However, having solved two of the mysteries, if we ultimately have to enter the Yellow Springs Gate, the cost will be much lower. Let's not rush. There's still some time before the first Yellow Springs Boat arrives. I'll gather everyone and share what we know. Perhaps someone can come up with a solution."
Wu Zhao took out a copper whistle and blew it.
Before long, the Imperial Prison Bureau, who had been surrounded by the Eerie Ground, arrived. They numbered over a hundred, including two Fourth Rank Martial Cultivator serving as deputy directors.
Wu Zhao ordered all the jailers to enter the prison and announce to the prisoners that the place was surrounded by the Yellow Springs Strange Land, and everyone was under its spell. If the prisoners could figure out a way to open the Yellow Springs Gate, they could have their sentences reduced and receive preferential treatment in the Imperial Prison Bureau.
The jailers dispersed, Wu Zhao said, "Everyone, stop hiding anything. You're already under a spell, so there's no need to hold back. Tell us everything you've ever heard about related to Eerie Demon, and Eerie Ground."
After thinking for a while, everyone started talking at once, sharing all sorts of things related to the Eerie Demon and the Eerie Ground.
Li Qingxian listened attentively, and when he encountered something important, he recorded it in French on his Spirit Platform.
As time passed, Li Qingxian heard more and more strange stories.
It wasn't until he heard someone mention the "Fate Star Curse-Breaking Method" that Li Qingxian came up with a way to decipher the mystery.
"The Fate Star Curse-Breaking Method sounds mysterious, but as You Fei said, every spell has an essence, a principle. Based on my knowledge, I speculate that the Fate Star Curse-Breaking Method is actually a sacrificial method, which involves offering Fate Star to the Yellow Springs Emperor in place of twelve dead people. Ordinary Fate Arts Master don't have that many extra Fate Star. When suddenly faced with this situation, they don't have enough time to Life Buying or catch lives, so they can only sacrifice their own Fate Star. However, each time a Fate Mansion Fate Star is sacrificed, a portion of lifespan is lost, and they can't survive more than four sacrifices. Only those Grand Fate Arts Masters with a reserve of Fate Star can use this method."
After much deliberation, Li Qingxian decided that if he were to make a move, he needed to find a way to cover it up.