In the open fields and deserted villages, the shrouding death qi enveloped the land, rendering it barren. It was even more deathly silent than after the passing of locusts, no longer with any living creatures around. Even if a “creature” appeared every now and then, they had already become citizens of the kingdom of death.
Li Qingshan stood on the land of death and could not help but frown. This was the instinctive loathing that the living had for death.
The clip-clopping of horse hooves rang out from behind, and a corpse horse lunged over. A majority of its body had rotted away, revealing its jagged white bones. Green light shimmered in its eyes, filled with a desire to devour and a hatred for the living.
Li Qingshan glanced back. He had sensed the existence of the corpse horse a long time ago, but he never thought it would actually have the courage to rush over here. Don’t they even have the most basic sense of fear?
Something stirred in the deserted village, and villagers emerged on the streets, all half-rotten. Their movements were sluggish and stiff. When they saw Li Qingshan, they were like people who had been starved for three days that had just seen a piece of meat, all surging over. There were plenty of ethereal existences among them, all vengeful spirits and hungry ghosts.
A phoenix’s cry!
Li Qingshan rose up into the air and turned into a streak of firelight, sailing towards the Myriad Ghosts abyss. The abandoned village behind him was burned to a crisp within the flames.
The ground rapidly receded under him. There were many more cities and villages that had all been swallowed by the death qi, which reached hundreds of kilometers away!
Because they were close to a great sect like the Umbral Yin sect and the disciples of the Umbral Yin sect were skilled in “human” wave attacks, even the Soaring Locust King had his second doubts, so they were not particularly affected by the locust plague. Instead, many people gathered here for refuge. Never did they think that they would survive the locust plague, only to face another crisis like this and be reduced to undead.
A large city appeared on the horizon, no smaller than the prefectural city of Clear River. It must have been a prefectural city as well, except its prosperity had already become a matter of the past. It had completely turned into a land of the dead, with several million undead roaming about. Even the horror films he had watched in his past life came nowhere close to this.
Li Qingshan recalled how the White Lotus Mother had massacred a city of two hundred thousand for the sake of forging an arcane treasure in the past and how he had felt extremely shocked. Only now did he truly understand what human life was worthless meant, which made him sigh. He still had not learnt the coldness and the heartlessness of the world back then, how it viewed all as nothing.
Arriving above the city, he suddenly descended from above, accelerating himself through the use of gravity like an asteroid. With a long tail of flames behind him, he landed loudly in the centre of the city.
A wave of earth swept through the entire city. Wherever it reached, structures collapsed, and countless undead were buried alive; it was like a great earthquake had occurred. Perhaps it was exactly that, a great earthquake!
Looking around again, the city strewn with buildings had already been reduced to ruins. He looked at his hands and thought, This is my current power, my destructive power, and it’s just a mirror clone. What should I use this power to do? To rescue the world and uphold justice? Or to indulge in myself and do as I please?
He flew up and continued on his way, leaving behind a message in the ruins of the city that drifted away with the wind.
“Apologies. I’m sympathetic to your misfortunes, but I don’t fight for you!”
Arriving a hundred and fifty kilometers away from the Myriad Ghosts abyss, Li Qingshan uttered, “The Profound Light Illuminates All!”
His vision suddenly pulled up close, and the Myriad Ghosts abyss was clearly reflected in the Spirit Turtle’s Profound Shell. He could not help but gasp. “That’s-”
A tall, bone tower that stood three thousand meters tall jutted into the air, but it seemed like only the foundations had been laid so far. Its height after completion was unimaginable. Could it even link up with the sky?
Many figures busied about on the white bone tower, like labourers who toiled about in cities.
However, when Li Qingshan used the Profound Light Illuminates All, these “labourers” all sensed him and looked over.
The labourers building the tower were actually Corpse Kings, while the supervisor was a constantly-changing spirit. A half-transparent tendril landed on a Corpse King’s back. It seemed so light that it was almost gentle, but it made the Corpse King quiver. A gash appeared on his skin that could not even be pierced by arcane treasures.
“Keep going! Don’t stop! If we can’t keep up with the schedule, not only will this world reject you, but you won’t have a place in the Hungry Ghost realm either!”
The spirit’s cold gaze pierced through the Spirit Turtle’s Profound Shell and glanced at Li Qingshan, which made him feel a chill run down his back. He could not help but furrow his brows. No matter what the Hungry Ghost realm was planning, they were determined to get Xiao An. If he just ignored this, it would definitely lead to great trouble in the future!
However, this was different from the battle against the demon army. These undead had already gained a footing and cast down formations. The bone tower was not complete yet, but it had clearly come into effect already, making him feel great danger.
The Gate of Hungry Ghosts below had already ripped even wider than the original Myriad Ghosts abyss by now, like the Hungry Ghost realm had opened its mouth, trying to swallow them.
……
The mountainous Green Province cauldron was drowned in deep green, replaced by a towering tree. Its thick, serpentine roots coiled around the spirit turtle. Li Qingshan did not budge at all.
The sun, moon, and stars set and rose as time trickled by. The Green Province cauldron let out a gentle sound as the roots grew vigorously in the cracks of the cauldron, gradually widening them and dismantling the cauldron.
Rain poured down from above, washing the soil that had been contaminated by the demon qi. The remaining part of Great Buddha mountain stood within the grey rain as the water rushed down as a river, flowing around the great banyan tree.
Li Qingshan suddenly opened his eyes, and his body gradually changed. He let out waves of power of tremors, and the Green Province cauldron boomed like a great bell.
Clang!
The Green Province cauldron shattered into countless specks of colourful dust, shaking away the pouring rain and dark clouds.
For a moment, sunlight poured down, passing through the cracks between the leaves. It was glorious and resplendent.
The great banyan tree swung its branches around, gathering several specks of dust on its green leaves, making it resemble a multicoloured divine tree. It began to rapidly grow again.
With a flash, Li Qingshan flew out from beneath the tree and turned around to look. As soon as the demon qi surged out of the demon cavern, the roots rapidly spread out and sealed off the demon cavern, plunging deeply into the earth. The tree became even sturdier too, like it could touch the skies!
At the same time, countless great banyan trees rose up throughout the Green province, with countless creatures watching in surprise.
The aura of the Great Banyan Tree King became even broader and deeper, surpassing the range of regular daemons; it was as if he had become a representative of the world. This was just the beginning. Once he refined the nine cauldrons, he would truly become the god of the nine provinces, the representative of the world’s will.
Li Qingshan asked with a smile, “How does it feel to become the god of the Green province?”
“Not bad, or should I say, fantastic!” the Great Banyan Tree King said.
“Can you use the power of the world to suppress the Gate of Hungry Ghosts?” Li Qingshan asked.
“I can’t. My power can’t enter there either. The white bone tower you speak of seems to have sealed off the laws of the world completely. Unless it’s destroyed, it’ll be very difficult to suppress the gate.” The Great Banyan Tree King expressed his powerlessness too. “If you really want to suppress it, then you better do so quickly. Once the gate rips open even wider, it’ll all be too late.”
Li Qingshan contemplated a countermeasure as he stroked his chin when Yin Qing suddenly stepped out of the Asura Field. “My king, could you pay a visit to the Asura Field? Are you aware of the child’s identity?”
