Twilight Boundary-Chapter 526 - 518: Zhen Sui Hu Family

The Magic Altar had been destroyed, and the entire village was in ruins, almost leveled to the ground. Yet, such a tumult could not pull Hu Ma from his shock. He remained on the ground, his mind replaying the image of that thing and its words.

What did it mean by coming from the same place, remnants of civilization? What are these strange and bizarre statements?

The most crucial part was that, although the context and content differed, they vaguely echoed the words he had received earlier at the place with the Big Red Robe...

Before that thing disappeared from this world, it struggled to "look" at him and uttered so-called "forgetting the root, violating the contract" and "Eternal Punishment," which made him feel deeply oppressed when contemplated.

He had come here to retrieve the Hu Family heirloom, and the disaster in Juehu Village had been mitigated, yet Hu Ma was stunned, rooted to the spot for a long time.

It was not until a voice sighed softly, tinged with some lament, "So, it’s finally done?"

Hu Ma was startled by the voice. He quickly turned around, first feeling a gentle waft of incense candle scent brushing against his face. It seemed to mellow the coldness within his heart. A warm breeze slowly wafted before his eyes, and he only saw an old tree stump.

On the stump, the mountain lord, with wide robes and a relaxed belt, quietly watched him.

In this village, amidst the ruins filled with yin souls, all were in his view, which made him lament with a bit of sighing sentiment.

"Senior..."

Hu Ma realized and hastily turned to salute, feeling a little flustered inside.

He did not know when the mountain lord had arrived, nor if it had heard the words of that thing just now, and whether it would suspect his identity. But on second thought, he somewhat put his mind at ease.

The mountain lord originally could not enter here. The Four-sided Town Gate Stone had collapsed, and his Magic Altar was broken, allowing it to appear here. And when the Gate Guardian Stone fell, that thing had already been crushed by the massive weight and dragged to some unknown place.

"I have been watching the happenings here from the mountain. It was only when I saw the resentment here dissipated that I came over to check."

The mountain lord also noticed Hu Ma’s strange expression, showing slight surprise, and speaking softly, asked, "Why? You seem somewhat flustered."

"Who wouldn’t be flustered?"

Hu Ma composed himself, quickly adjusting his emotions inside. Then, deliberately not concealing the panic in his heart, he lowered his voice and said to the mountain lord, "Just now, just now inside the village, what exactly was that thing?"

Not sure if the mountain lord knew about this secret in Juehu Village beyond the resentful ghosts and the Hu Family heirloom, but if it knew, it would certainly understand more.

As expected, when the mountain lord heard Hu Ma’s question, it seemed to understand the panic Hu Ma was feeling. It quietly looked at Hu Ma, paused for a moment, then slowly spoke,

"The Immortal."

Upon saying this, its voice seemed tinged with a bit of mysterious and complex emotions as it spoke in a low voice, "Neither god, nor ghost, nor monster, nor spirit. It is said to have originally resided high above in the sky, a free-roaming entity, but now it has descended to the mortal world. It is beyond ordinary understanding and hard to imagine."

"Even among us, we do not know how to call it, so we can only call it: the Immortal."

"..."

"This..."

No matter how the mountain lord answered, Hu Ma could not have been so surprised. Yet this specific title filled him with confusion. "That eerie and terrifying thing can also... be called the Immortal?"

As he spoke, he looked around.

Now, the sinister resentment within Juehu Village had vanished, yet everywhere still hovered ownerless, wandering souls. They drifted over the ruins of the village, their mournful cries riding the wind, occasionally reaching his ears.

However, the cries now were no longer those previous wailing screams but sobbing, mourning.

Some appeared lost and helpless, standing beside Hu Ma as if not knowing where to go. There were also women holding their children, crying mournfully, yet they could not seem to look away from him.

The Divine Light Exorcism Curse had resolved their resentment, awakening their consciousness. Unlike other resentful souls, they had died, but their three souls had never scattered. When shrouded in resentment, they were far more fierce than other ghosts. Once the resentment dissipated, they also became more spiritual than other ghosts.

And this meant that they were more fearful and helpless.

Because they did not know where to go. Old Yin Mountain had no Ghost Cave, and no one like Xiang who could guide souls. Thus, they understood that this world was no longer meant for them but were clueless about their destination...

This was the original state of Juehu Village: an ordinary village in life, and now only helpless resentful souls after death.

Just now, however, with that thing here, the village was entirely filled with fierce ghosts. Even calling them fierce ghosts would not suffice; they should have been called Ghost Kings, entities that even the underworld might not be able to contain.

To turn ordinary yin souls into such terrifying entities showed the power of that thing, yet the mountain lord referred to it as "the Immortal"?

"Is it strange?"

The mountain lord also sighed softly and waved its sleeve, dispersing waves of gentle incense, soothing these forlorn and sorrowful resentful souls and reducing their cries significantly.

Then it gently sighed, "That thing is an incomprehensible entity."

"And an immortal is also an incomprehensible entity."

"It is a purely pure entity, without awareness or perception. But it is said that it can help one attain eternal life, free and unfettered. Once, some referred to it as a type of Tai Sui—just the essence of Tai Sui, a pill of which holds the wonder of Immortal Ascension."

"But your Granny told me that although this thing appears pure, it is actually ominous. Though it is without awareness or perception, touching it would drive one mad; encountering it would lead to becoming resentful born. That is why, when the village faced an incident back then, your Granny did not let me intervene and afterward, also asked me to keep an eye on things but not to enter the village."

"..."

"Best not to..."

Listening to the mountain lord’s words, Hu Ma felt a shiver of fear again. That kind of thing was truly terrifying. Having tainted the entire village of resentful ghosts, it was already so powerful. If it had encountered the mountain lord, who knew what would have happened?

Moreover, the mountain lord said this thing was without awareness or perception, yet the words he had heard were clearly spoken to him by it when it had become pure...

"I... I really don’t know how to describe that thing..."

He could sense there was still some curiosity in the mountain lord’s words. Hu Ma had seen this thing yet did not know what it was; the mountain lord, on the other hand, had heard it mentioned but never seen it, perhaps even eager to catch a glimpse.

Hu Ma also took a deep breath and said, "I just felt that thing was truly powerful. If it escaped, I can’t even imagine what the outside world would become..."

He could hear a commotion outside the village now, and faint calls—likely Second Master and the others approaching. Now that everything here had been cleared, he could not help but feel a bit anxious.

The mountain lord seemed to sense Hu Ma’s worry. It gently raised its sleeve, causing a slight mist to rise outside the village, obscuring even the calls of Second Master and the others. Then it gently sighed, "Escape?"

"Hasn’t it already escaped?"

"..."

Hu Ma was startled by these words, then immediately understood. In shock, he exclaimed, "Is it... the Meng Family Ancestor?"

The mountain lord’s face was vague, but its eyes clearly looked at Hu Ma as it spoke in a low voice, "You indeed have seen it. It seems your Granny underestimated you. Without her supervision, you’ve already faced more formidable things and survived."

"So it really is him..."

Hu Ma recalled the thing that Second Master of the Meng Family had kowtowed to summon back then, and could not help but tremble with fear. He said in a low voice, "The Meng Family Ancestor indeed resembles that thing..."

"...Or rather, they are simply the same entity."

"..."

"Then it seems your Granny’s concern was not misplaced at all..."

The mountain lord exhaled softly, speaking in a low voice, "The Meng Family Ancestor is the utmost evil and filthy entity. Even we cannot look directly at it."

"The most crucial part is, it has been worshipped by the Meng Family for a long time, yet no one knows its origin or details. I had speculated before, and when I asked your Granny, she would not tell me, only saying that knowing about this matter would be a curse, not a blessing."

"I am normally content with my fate, so if she was unwilling to say, I did not press further. However, sometimes, I cannot help but be curious. Now, hearing it from you, I understand why the Meng Family has always acted this way..."

"..."

"The Meng Family..."

Upon hearing that this thing had already escaped and had been worshipped for so many years by the Meng Family as their ancestor, Hu Ma became internally flustered, and his curiosity was immediately piqued.

If such a terrifying entity had escaped and remained unrestrained, what would it do?

"Construct the Underworld."

The mountain lord could sense Hu Ma’s curiosity. It sighed lightly and spoke openly, "The Meng Family’s intention to reconstruct the Underworld has long been evident. They have been deifying figures all over the world and visiting every Lord, all for this single purpose."

"It is fortunate that the world today is already shattered, awaiting a common ruler, and the Underworld is fragmented, largely managed by local underworlds. The Meng Family, though ambitious, lacks the strength. To truly rebuild the Underworld, they must wait for a new Emperor to emerge."

"Once that time comes, just one decree from the new Emperor will suffice for the Lords of the eighty-one mountain underworlds to rebuild the Underworld, and then..."

The mountain lord spoke calmly, yet within Hu Ma’s heart, it was like a typhoon. Were the Underworld to be rebuilt, would the Meng Family Ancestor become the master of the entire Underworld? If such an eerie and terrifying entity became the Lord of the Underworld, then this...

Seeing his face change slightly, the mountain lord sighed lightly. "Now, you know almost more than I do, and you understand the urgency of retrieving your Hu Family’s heirloom..."

"After all, there are many capable people in this world, but who can stand against the Meng Family Ancestor?"

"..."

Hu Ma listened, slightly trembling, as he turned to look at a spot.

In the center of the ruined Juehu Village, all the houses, roads, stone walls, and thatched roofs had crumbled and shattered. Yet, only the grindstone remained intact. On the grindstone, a Stone Box sat calmly, wrapped in dense iron chains.

Indeed, to deal with the Meng Family’s Negative Spirit, one must rely on the Hu Family’s walking ghost...