Chapter 1 Hu Ma's Refusal

When Hu Ma unhesitatingly spoke his refusal, the Old Matriarch of the Li Family also sighed softly.

The expression on Hu Ma's face was absurd and weary, while the Old Matriarch of the Li Family seemed faintly disappointed.

After a long pause, she sighed softly. Her voice lacked the gravitas it had when she was discoursing on the Eight Scenic Views of the Yellow Springs, and she said slowly, "To give you all that we ten families have accumulated over twenty years, to help the new heavens, this is already a huge concession..."

Hu Ma simply sneered, not even bothering to reply.

The Old Matriarch of the Li Family's gaze turned slightly cold, and she raised her eyes to look at Hu Ma.

At this moment, her identity seemed to have shifted from the Old Matriarch of the Li Family, a longtime friend of the Hu Family, to the ancestral matriarch of the Impermanence Li Family, as she slowly shook her head and said:

"The descendants of the Hu Family of Zhen Sui are promising and capable. Combining the body of this world with the laws of the other world, you have cultivated such abilities that even the Imperial Advisor could not subdue you when you were in the capital. You can be called the foremost among the ten families..."

"But you are also, perhaps, too confident."

"I know your confidence comes from those people of the other world. They do indeed have many capable individuals, and they have all crossed the bridge. But you must know that they crossed the bridge too late."

"..."

She looked at Hu Ma, as if guiding a junior in the arts of magic: "To cross the bridge is to transcend."

"The path of transcendence is nothing more than returning to the source. Therefore, everyone has the ability to return home. After crossing the bridge, one naturally inclines towards the source from whence they came."

"After crossing the bridge, the people of this realm will be closer to the Eight Scenic Views of the Yellow Springs, because the Eight Scenic Views of the Yellow Springs are where we come from."

"But the people of the other world come from the Grand Duke Jupiter. When they cross the bridge, they will instinctively draw closer to the Grand Duke Jupiter, which is even more dangerous. Therefore, the people of the other world may be even further from the path of returning home than we are..."

"You expect them to help you win..."

She paused slightly and said, "Difficult!"

"To put it bluntly, if we really insist on a victory or defeat, and the people on both sides become enraged and start fighting, I'm afraid we won't be able to control the situation, and this world may be destroyed..."

As she said this, her tone was not heavy, but the meaning behind her words was weighty.

Hu Ma also suddenly looked up at her, the indolence on his face gone, his gaze cold and deep: "Is the Old Matriarch threatening me?"

The original agreement to engage in a magic duel was to preserve things as much as possible, but now she was saying that a magic duel could destroy the world. What was that if not a threat?

The Old Matriarch of the Li Family simply looked at Hu Ma coldly, neither affirming nor denying, which naturally meant she was not denying it.

Hu Ma met her gaze, a cold smile slowly forming in his eyes, and slowly nodded. "The Old Matriarch said she was an old acquaintance of my grandmother, so she must know her well."

"When she returned to the ancestral hall, she once said to me that sensible children always suffer more."

"One sentence expressed all her concern for me, and also expressed the suffering in the hearts of the Hu family. Yes, sensible people always seem to be more unlucky. Suffering is fine, but what's terrible is putting in effort and not being appreciated."

"My Hu family saw the suffering of this world and made plans early, so we ended up with our family destroyed and only me left. You, on the other hand, have enjoyed twenty years of wealth and still want to become living gods..."

As he spoke, his face had already turned cold: "Do I owe you?"

The Old Matriarch of the Li Family heard his words growing heavier, her expression slightly astonished, the coldness in her eyes slightly diminished, and she simply stared fixedly at his face.

"I want to gather the mandate of heaven and expel the Grand Duke Jupiter. I want all the things you mentioned before, but..."

The mockery on Hu Ma's face reached its peak at this moment. He sneered, his voice also rising, "If it really comes to a point where a group of people are desperately fighting in front, and another group of people are pulling them back..."

"...then to hell with it, let it be destroyed!"

"..."

The Old Matriarch of the Li Family suddenly heard these words, and her entire expression seemed somewhat out of control.

As an old and cunning person, she naturally knew how to observe words and expressions, and actually felt sincerely that Hu Ma was not just saying it.

Inexplicably, she suddenly regretted coming to meet him and saying these words. How could someone both embrace the idea of saving the world and be ready to destroy it at any time?

"You are old, so you don't understand."

Hu Ma saw the astonishment on the Old Matriarch of the Li Family's face and stood up as he spoke.

Looking down from above, his expression was indifferent, his face mocking: "You're still thinking of threatening me with breaking this world?"

"You simply don't understand, a magic duel is giving you a chance, not a bargaining chip for you to negotiate!"

"I'm taking the path of the Shou Sui (year-守岁keeper), I'm a rough person, and I only know simple methods. So compared to this delicate and complicated magic duel to determine the outcome, I'd rather just fight until you're convinced, beat you until you're gone, and the remaining things will naturally be in my hands."

"It doesn't matter if the ten families exist or not, it doesn't matter if the noble lords exist or not, as long as the living beings in the outside world exist, we can still start this Great Luo Heaven Sacrifice."

"It's just a pity, because we all know where the fragility of this world lies, and we all know how to make this world be destroyed faster, so I can only abide by the rules and have a good magic duel with you..."

"But if one day, someone really breaks these rules, and we lose this hope of winning, I will be the first to find your door!"

"..."

At this time, outside, the yin wind was surging, and the candlelight was flickering, shining on his face. His features were deep, and his eyes revealed a fierce light: "Old Matriarch, go back and tell the children of the Li Family, and tell everyone else."

"None of us have a way out!"

"This world is being targeted by the Grand Duke Jupiter, there is no way out."

"You, too, have been targeted by me!"

"..."

The Old Matriarch of the Li Family did not know how many years it had been since she had felt this kind of pressure.

A Shou Sui approaching closely would naturally put pressure on other lineages, especially a Shou Sui in a fit of rage, like a fierce god, directly confronting her, causing her to be startled for a moment.

After a long time, she slowly smiled, her hunched and withered body straightening slightly. Under Hu Ma's gaze, she regained her composure and sighed, "I forgot that the Hu family has never lost when it comes to ruthlessness."

Hu Ma looked at her expression, concentrated for a long time, and slowly took a step back, the shadow on his body retreating from the Old Matriarch of the Li Family.

He slowly smiled and said, "I've been under a lot of pressure recently, I got a little carried away. Please don't mind, Old Matriarch."

"Young people should have this kind of energy, otherwise how can they accomplish great things, and how can people believe that they can accomplish great things?"

The Old Matriarch of the Li Family smiled and comforted him, saying, "It's just that this gamble is too ruthless, leaving no way out, and having people send everything to you, it's hard to feel at ease."

"You can convince those people from the other world, but you may not be able to convince the other families, let alone the Imperial Advisor. Moreover, in this vast world, besides the ten families and the Imperial Advisor, who knows how many capable people there are?"

"Will they all believe you, will they all bet everything on this?"

"..."

"This is indeed a problem..."

Hu Ma sighed softly as he listened, saying, "In the end, sensible people suffer more, it's just an unfair, yet commonplace saying."

"What can I do if I can't convince them? I can only grit my teeth and move forward. But as for the Old Matriarch here..."

"..."

"In the end, it's still about winning or losing in the magic duel!"

The Old Matriarch of the Li Family sighed softly, as if she had weighed it in her heart, faced Hu Ma squarely, and said slowly, "I originally wanted to discuss with you, to help you succeed with the 'Return Home' as a condition, and also to give the ten families a sense of satisfaction."

"But now it seems that we can't convince you, but you, I'm afraid you can't convince everyone else to follow you and place their bets."

"The ten families all came from the Jianghu (martial world), so let's go back to this gamble!"

She said here, her expression solemn: "If the Li Family loses, the stone millstone is yours, take all the mandate of heaven, and the disciples of the Xing Hun (Punishing Souls) lineage, both high and low, will go through fire and water, die on the battlefield, and all will be at your disposal."

"But if you lose..."

She paused, her eyes cold: "I don't care about the other families, but I want all of you to help my Li Family with all your strength."

"The Po Mu Shi (Mother-Breaking Formation), governs the Blood Pool of the Yellow Springs, stepping into the realm of Returning Home."

"Or, if the Li Family comprehends the realm of Returning Home in this magic duel, then that is the Li Family's own ability. If they obtain that extraordinary wealth, then you should not be too aggressive."

"..."

Hu Ma listened, his brows slightly knitted, but he knew that this Old Matriarch had already spoken the final truth.

The ten families now each have a Mother Formation, which they can use to influence the Eight Scenic Views of the Yellow Springs, possessing great divine powers. But this Mother Formation is also their roadblock, preventing them from truly controlling the Eight Scenic Views of the Yellow Springs.

She wanted to negotiate, to let him actively help them break the Mother Formation in exchange, which naturally would not work. But if they were to gamble on this, and in this gamble, they gained some comprehension, and they themselves mastered this realm of Returning Home, then that was something he could not control.

Moreover, as long as they could truly control the Eight Scenic Views of the Yellow Springs, then even if he wanted to control them, he couldn't. In the darkness, they would already be one with this world.

This gamble, in addition to seeing who has the higher level of magic now, also has another level, which is to see who can take a step further first. The one who takes that step first is inherently the winner.

Winner takes all!

In his contemplation, he suddenly spoke in a low voice: "What if someone else threatens me with breaking this world or something?"

The Old Matriarch of the Li Family also slowly rose to her feet and said, "I don't quite agree with what you just said. The ten families, as well as the capable people in this world, may not all be willing to follow you and place this bet, nor are they willing to give up their current wealth."

"But the ten families at least care about face."

"Moreover, our families are still listed in that stone pavilion. What is said, even if someone doesn't obey, the others won't agree."

"So, rest assured, we'll have a magic duel. If someone loses and doesn't admit it, or does something to harm this world, then my Li Family will be the first to jump out and fight him!"

"..." Hu Ma heard this, his eyes lit up slightly, and he quickly helped the Old Matriarch of the Li Family, who was getting up, and said with a smile, "This is the kind of respectability the ten families should have."

"The first one to have a magic duel with you always suffers."

The Old Matriarch of the Li Family heard the compliment, but there was no smile on her face. She only sighed and said, "Our Li Family was also tricked by that sneaky-eyed Zhao Family, and became the first to come out and draw a line. We weren't fully prepared."

"But since we've been caught up, so be it. Let's use this Meng Hu Pass (Fierce Tiger Pass) as the topic for our gamble."

"But I should indeed remind you that the God-Bestowed King was raised by my Li Family, but he no longer listens to the Li Family's orders. This person has a Blood Floating Pagoda Army under his command, you must be careful, because outsiders don't know the full name of this Floating Pagoda Army."

"If I were to tell you, the word 'blood' should actually be added before the words 'Floating Pagoda'."

"..."

"Blood Floating Pagoda..."

Hu Ma heard this, and his eyebrows suddenly twitched slightly: "The 'blood' from the Blood Pool?"

The Old Matriarch of the Li Family nodded, looked up at Hu Ma, and said with a smile that was not a smile: "And our victory or defeat lies here, it just depends on whether you break this blood character, or you need to ask our Li Family to take back this blood character!"

The place where Hu Ma and the Old Matriarch of the Li Family were talking was not in the human realm, and the formation of heads in the middle had already been suppressed by the Old Matriarch of the Li Family's entourage when she appeared.

But Di Gua Shao (sweet potato liquor) was quick, and those wandering ghosts who had already entered the city were still causing chaos everywhere, especially since many wandering ghosts did not come from the front of the pass, but appeared from behind the pass, joining this army of wandering ghosts.

Inside the Meng Hu Pass, chaos had already broken out.

Under the God-Bestowed King, there were at least tens of thousands of garrison troops guarding the pass, but under the impact of these countless Yin souls attacking the city, it was already a scene of deathly silence.

The huge pass had already been turned into a place without any human voices, as if it had become an empty pass.

And further behind, the place where the three armies were gathering had also become tense, and they were all anxiously looking out. They could also see that something extraordinary seemed to have happened in the Meng Hu Pass overnight. The huge pass seemed to be unguarded.

They were just anxiously pacing back and forth, wanting to wait for dawn to come quickly, so that the Yin energy would dissipate, and they could quickly seize this pass.

They could hardly imagine what the scene would be like after seizing the city.

A huge pass guarded by nearly 100,000 soldiers and horses was broken overnight only by relying on the army of ghosts and gods. The living were just following behind, waiting to reap the great rewards.

When it was spread out, it would probably create another strange tale in this lineage.

But they did not expect that behind this Meng Hu Pass, where all sounds were muted and there was deathly silence, only Yin souls were howling, and wandering ghosts were playing and having fun in the city, a low sigh suddenly sounded in a dark camp in the pass.

The God-Bestowed King woke up, reached out his hand to grope on the table, touched a fire starter, and lit the oil lamp.

The dim light of the oil lamp illuminated his pale face and bloodshot eyes.

Listening to the lack of movement outside, only the rolling Yin wind was blowing back and forth, his face seemed to show impatience.

He had originally wanted to sleep for two or three days after fighting for several days in a row, to rest well, but unexpectedly, he had woken up in less than two hours.

And at the same time that he opened his eyes, many soldiers and horses in other camps also opened their eyes, with strong blood energy permeating their bodies.

They had not removed their armor. At this time, they opened their eyes woodenly, looking like rusty iron men.

"Whoosh!"

And as they left the camp and began to form a formation, a strong bloody smell suddenly rose in this huge pass.

The bloody smell, invisible and intangible in the darkness, was actually heavier than the Yin energy of the fierce ghosts knocking on the pass. It suppressed the howling Yin wind in the pass. All the ghosts who were playing and having fun were shocked when this blood energy rose.

Then, they panicked, lost their composure, and quietly shrank their heads, put away their Yin wind, and did not even bother to remind their grandmothers before running away.

"Eh?"

However, they did not know that their grandmothers had already noticed it first when this blood energy was rising, and were so shocked that they turned their heads and slipped out of the city first.

The huge Meng Hu Pass was immersed in the night, and even the sound of the wind seemed to stop.

Only in front of the pass was there a huge formation of heads, which had been forcibly turned around, facing the Meng Hu Pass.

"Why hasn't it dawned yet?"

The Three Armies Alliance, which was anxious to wait for dawn to attack the city, was now a little anxious, constantly looking towards the east. Listening to the lack of movement and the absence of any light in the Meng Hu Pass, they all felt that it was an empty pass, and they could easily obtain it once the Yin energy dissipated.

But what they hoped for did not come. They only felt that this night was too long. It should have dawned long ago, but it was still dark.

On the eastern horizon, there was only a layer of blood lines, as if it was pressing down on the sun, unable to jump out.

And in this silent and oppressive anxiety, suddenly, they heard the Yin wind in front of them gradually receding. Everyone thought that the rooster had already crowed and the night was about to dissipate, and they were immediately filled with anticipation.

But they did not expect that at this moment, the dark pass, which seemed to have no living people, suddenly slowly opened.

An army shrouded in the night slowly emerged from the pass, stirring up the night and making it a bit chaotic.

"Shua!"

No one expected that the Meng Hu Pass would suddenly open its doors at this time.

And the most important thing was that in front of the Meng Hu Pass, there was originally a formation of heads, aimed at the inside of the pass.

When the team of soldiers appeared, the heads, which were full of grievances, felt that the people who had cut off their heads were the source of their grievances. Without being activated, their desire for revenge arose early, and their resentment surged like a tide in an instant.

But the army that came out of the Meng Hu Pass did not even bother to take a look. They only heard the clanging of iron armor, and they marched out of the pass and lined up. The hooves of horses and iron boots walked directly from the ground full of heads, even stepping on the heads, slowly pressing towards the outside of the pass.

In the formation of heads, those heads were suppressed by the evil energy, and they could not even open their eyes.

Only in their eye sockets did blood tears slowly seep out, hanging on their cheeks.

"That is..."

And behind the formation of heads, the generals and vanguard officers of the various routes, who were guarding outside the formation of heads with the vanguard team, also felt a gust of wind, mixed with the smell of iron rust and blood, rushing towards them, making it difficult for them to breathe.

Their hearts suddenly jumped to their throats, and a scene flashed in their minds. Their voices were already trembling: "Blood Floating Pagoda Army?"

The God-Bestowed King had a Blood Floating Pagoda Army under his command, which only killed people at night.

It was already past that time, but the sky had been dark all along. Could it be because this Blood Floating Pagoda Army had awakened and was about to come out of the pass to kill people?

"I wanted to spare you for two more days, but you insisted on coming to disturb my sweet dreams. Then, after taking your heads, I'll have a good rest!"

And in this suppression, suddenly, the vanguard of that army began to accelerate. It suddenly stirred up the night, and when it approached, they could clearly see its appearance. It was a row of iron lumps, with both people and horses covered in iron armor.

Heavy, oppressive, and blood was constantly splashing from the armor on their bodies.

Where the hooves of the horses landed, it was clearly dry, frosted ground, but for some reason, blood splashed from under the hooves, piece by piece, as if blood was seeping from under the ground, increasingly filled with a bloody aura.

In a daze, it looked like they were stepping on a surging river of blood, rushing forward.

The huge movement not only instantly scattered the formation of heads in front of the Meng Hu Pass, but even the vanguard army behind the formation of heads was suddenly enveloped by the opponent's heavy blood energy.

"Not good..."

Many capable people in the army realized that something was wrong, and immediately used strange methods. One of them threw a painting forward. The scroll unfolded, blocking in front of the Blood Floating Pagoda Army.

In the painting, a big river flew out and landed on the ground.

It was more than ten zhang wide, with turbulent waves and fierce currents, abruptly blocking in front of the Blood Floating Pagoda Army, so that the vanguard army and the generals of the various routes, who were watching the battle in front of the formation and had not made preparations, could safely return to the camp.

But unexpectedly, the Blood Floating Pagoda Army did not even look at the big river in the night, and crossed the river directly.

Under the hooves of the horses, blood splashed, and the river disappeared in an instant, leaving only a pile of blood-stained pieces of paper.

"..."

"..."

And at the same time, in a small courtyard in Qu Prefecture.

The Old Matriarch of the Li Family, supported by her two granddaughters, one in white and one in black, slowly walked from a locust tree.

The Old Matriarch of the Li Family sat down and sighed, "This child of the Hu family is different from the disciples in our families. He shouldn't be someone we could have taught..."

A middle-aged man brought tea and handed it to her, asking, "Is he trustworthy?"

The Old Matriarch of the Li Family nodded and said, "His aura is extraordinary, transcending the world. He indeed has the air of a Great Luo Dharma Teaching Imperial Sacrifice Master."

She drank half a bowl of tea before slowly putting it down, her expression solemn, her eyes deep: "Naturally, he also has the possibility of helping our Li Family break this Mother Formation that has been stagnant for ten years and touch the threshold of Returning Home."

"This child understands."

The middle-aged man nodded and took a few steps back, coming to the front of the locust tree. He stroked it with his hand, remained silent for a moment, and said in a low voice: "The Li Clan, the four hall officials, the eight hundred deacons, the three thousand errand runners, listen to the order..."

"Hold the Yin Talisman, lead the Ghost Generals, go to the Meng Hu Pass together, assist the God-Bestowed King, and have a contest with the Zhen Sui Hu Family!"