Twilight Boundary-Chapter 387 - 384 Mutual Promotion and Restraint

The sound of Calculation riding his horse out of the valley quickly did not attract much attention in this current state of anxiety.

Only Zhou Datong and others, who had some cultivation and had borrowed Hu Ma’s Golden Toad Roar to barely manage suppression, had the energy to notice him. However, they had no idea what he was going to do, merely cursing him inwardly as a bad person.

They had agreed to share wealth and glory in the future, yet this old fellow ran off on his own?

Meanwhile, inside the house, Hu Ma paid no attention to any of this. He only felt his Five Organs vibrate, emitting the roaring sounds of the Golden Toad. He swallowed Blood Food, piece by piece, using this rare pressure to rapidly refine it, continue his practicing, and guide the qi and blood throughout his body.

Rolling qi and blood and mysterious vitality entered his body along with the stimulating bloody scent. At the same time, his mind and Divine Soul gradually filled up in the process.

If one were to describe it, it would be like a dry channel now quickly filling with water.

A dry channel was lifeless, eternally unchanged, merely existing. But once filled with water, it seemed to possess its own vitality, accumulating strength. Then, it would naturally flow downward, roaring vigorously like a thousand horses galloping.

The more it brewed, the fiercer it became. Even the Golden Toad Roar, which Hu Ma emitted at intervals, grew increasingly loud, echoing in the valley and carrying a hint of something terrifying.

First, he ate Blood Food Pills, then cured meat. The Blood Food Pills and cured meat he had saved over the past half-year had already been significantly depleted. Now, with the rapid refinement, they were quickly exhausted.

Little Hongtang acted like a diligent little housekeeper. She was clearly salivating at the sight of Blood Food, but Little Hongtang knew her priorities!

She stubbornly did not steal a bite. She only handed them to Hu Ma, assisting him in his cultivation. When the last Blood Food Pill was swallowed by Hu Ma, Little Hongtang became anxious. Her little head scanned left and right, and she quickly offered the jar of freshly cut Blood Food to him.

"This..."

Smelling the strong bloody scent from the jar, Hu Ma hesitated. From the moment he had been reincarnated into this world, he had eaten cooked food first, then Blood Food Pills, and at worst, dried cured meat. He had never eaten Tai Sui Blood and Flesh raw...

...But now?

It was a crucial moment. The very desire for Entering the Mansion seemed to be a motivation, mysteriously urging him on.

Hu Ma himself hesitated only briefly, not quite deciding whether to accept it. Unexpectedly, however, his Divine Soul felt an even more urgent sensation.

Entering the Mansion for cultivation involved two parts: one was the Head, and the other was the Divine Soul.

These were the last two lamps in a Shousui man’s Ascension cultivation. Since Hu Ma was already dead, he had skipped the process of the oil lamp killing him. Furthermore, because the Zhensui Mansion’s yin qi had cleansed his body, his cultivation for these parts was already in place.

But now was the time to replenish Blood Food, which also involved two steps. However, these two steps were so closely interlinked and complementary that it was hard to discern them separately.

Yet, at this moment of serendipity, a change occurred. During this period, through the refinement of Blood Food Pills and his practicing, Hu Ma’s Head had already reached perfection. What was lacking was only the nourishment of the Divine Soul. Now, this craving for Blood Food seemed to be coming from the Divine Soul.

As he hesitated, before he even rose, another Hu Ma suddenly emerged from within him. This figure was identical in form and visage, only semi-transparent.

This abrupt scene startled Little Hongtang. The Blood Food in her hand dropped back into the jar, and she retreated a few steps in shock.

The "Hu Ma" who had emerged from the body was indistinguishable as human or ghost. He turned his head toward the jar and took a deep breath. Instantly, a rolling wave of Blood Food scent poured into the "body" he had extended.

It wasn’t just this jar; several other sealed jars suddenly had their yellow paper seals break open, and the blood qi contained within floated before him.

Blood qi steamed and swirled around the ethereal figure, making it look like a deity enjoying incense worship.

Little Hongtang stared at this scene, utterly stunned. Her small mouth remained agape for a long while, and she was dumbfounded.

"Brother Huma, is also a ghost..."

"..."

"That young Shousui, with such strong cultivation, must be a disciple of an expert..."

Meanwhile, outside, inside the hut, the Wugong Clan Chief, who never left the Gu Altar no matter what happened, was also somewhat amazed by the power of Hu Ma’s Golden Toad Roar, an expression of surprise on his face.

"Among the Han people, there are many powerful individuals. If we were to truly clash, our Witch people would suffer greatly..."

He sighed lowly but said no more. He lowered his head to look into the Gu Bowl, from which he could seemingly hear some extremely sinister rustling and the sound of scales scraping against the ceramic. His face showed an expression of reverence and solemnity as he slowly bowed his head.

Outside the hut, Wuya, her head adorned with silver ornaments, looking cute and charming, glanced at her father, then turned her gaze towards the valley entrance, her face showing a worried and frightened expression.

At this same moment, Hu Ma’s actions not only protected the Meat Cutting workers at the mine but also significantly eased the burden on Zhuang Erchang and his disciple. Ordinary people under Hu Ma’s protection wouldn’t wither and die so quickly from the decay of their blood and flesh.

Those who already possessed cultivation were even less affected.

At this moment, Zhuang Erchang also seemed to have something on his mind. He suddenly lay flat on the ground, pressing his ear to the earth, listening intently.

If one looked closely, one would find that his ears were extremely sensitive. With a slight twitch, and by using the ground as a medium, he could pick up movements from a dozen or so miles around. His ears had clearly undergone refining life.

As everyone grew anxious and an oppressive tension filled the valley, an eerie quiet permeated Hu Ma’s room. Hu Ma sat silently cross-legged on the couch. Meanwhile, another version of him had emerged from his body and was inhaling the blood qi from the Blood Food before him.

His physical body seemed numb. Only at regular intervals, about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, did he involuntarily let out a toad’s croak. The sound echoed through the valley, helping to suppress the gu’s influence.

Outside, time ticked by, second by second, the atmosphere growing heavy with anxiety.

Inside the room, the blood qi in those few jars was almost completely absorbed. Even the brightly colored Blood and Flesh had gradually lost their hue, turning pale, even somewhat ashen. There was no more Blood Food nearby to sustain it.

Yet, the "Hu Ma" that had emerged seemed to still feel unsatisfied. The expression on his vacant face now carried the demeanor of a starving ghost.

He slowly straightened his body and looked left and right.

Gradually, his gaze suddenly fell upon the outside, upon the Black Tai Sui, which was abundant at the mine...

「...」

「...」

Outside the room, from dusk to late night, and from late night to early morning, more than half the night had passed in agonizing endurance.

The Meat Cutting workers, who had survived thanks to Hu Ma’s Golden Toad Roar, still didn’t know when they could escape this nightmare-like ordeal. Nor did they know if that life-saving Golden Toad Roar would suddenly stop.

Most of them didn’t understand cultivation or the Path. They only knew that people who followed these Paths had significant abilities. However, they could hear that Hu Ma’s roars were occurring at longer intervals and carried a peculiar sense of depletion.

This was because the supply of Blood Food was beginning to dwindle, and Hu Ma was about to complete Entering the Mansion, his qi and blood being replenished. This created a deceptive appearance of weakness, but they were unaware.

They just thought the toad fighting the Golden Silkworm in the house was finally about to give in. One by one, they became both shocked and terrified, their faces showing expressions of utter dread.

"Get out of the way!"

But just then, from outside the valley, the sound of thundering hooves suddenly rang out.

Everyone was puzzled. They quickly raised their heads, only to find that the rider galloping back on horseback was none other than Calculation, who had left half the night before. He was shouting madly as he returned, and strapped to him were...

...chickens?

They were indeed chickens. Their legs were trussed, and they hung like gourds from his shoulders and the horse’s back. He even carried an iron-wire cage behind him, inside which a rooster flapped its wings.

It had a bright red comb and golden feathers. Its thick talons resembled eagle hooks, and its eyes were wide open, looking fierce.

"This old fool..."

Zhou Datong and the others were also worried. Suddenly seeing Calculation return, they were both surprised and delighted, staring at him in bewilderment.

"Quick, get these chickens loose..."

Calculation rushed into the valley and jumped off his horse. His frail body caused him to stumble, nearly falling. However, at this critical moment, he paid it no mind. He hurriedly called Zhou Datong and the others over. "Get these chickens loose!"

He wailed, "This time, I simply must charge your little business twenty Blood Food Pills! I, this old man, went through all the trouble of divining, calculating, rushing on the road, and spending money, just to find these life-saving troublemakers for you all!"

"..."

Amidst his wails about the great loss he had suffered, Zhou Datong and the others, though confused, hastily took the chickens and began untying the grass ropes from their legs.

It was unclear where Calculation had procured these chickens or how long they had traveled. Now, they were all listless. Even when their ropes were untied, most of them just lay there, dizzy and motionless.

However, a few, once released, spread their wings and flew about, clucking throughout the valley.

The one Calculation had brought back in the cage was especially noteworthy. As soon as it was released, it became instantly alert. It fluttered its wings, darted east, then west, and suddenly tilted its head to listen, its eyes glinting with a fierce light.

It charged directly towards a corner, stirring up dust as it went. It pecked ferociously with its iron beak and tore with its talons.

Before long, it snatched up a glittering golden object. In a flash, it rushed to the corner of a wall, pecked at the object a few more times, and then clucked loudly.

Everyone watched in confusion, observing curiously. They didn’t even notice that the Golden Toad Roar had not sounded for some time, nor that the tormenting pain they felt had also ceased.

On the contrary, the golden tint on their faces was quietly fading.

「...」

「...」

Meanwhile, inside the house, Hu Ma suddenly opened his eyes. He took a deep breath, feeling qi fill his chest and abdomen. Entering the Mansion was complete.

However, the scent and taste of blood still lingered around his nose and mouth.