Twilight Boundary-Chapter 740 - 731: The 4th Incense Stick (4 more, requesting monthly votes)

The dharma method of the Meng family, acquired through kowtowing, was utterly wicked and filthy, and no one held it in esteem. From any perspective, the Meng family seemed to have become a joke. So much so, that in the beginning, Hu Ma wanted to interrogate Eldest Master Meng to find out how he had raised his cultivation to the level of nine incense.

But in his heart, he felt disdain, thinking that it was nothing more than pushing some sinister techniques to the extreme, thus achieving nine columns of Tao that others could only envy and never reach. And indeed, when Eldest Master Meng laid everything out, it was related to the Meng Family Ancestor, so Hu Ma dismissed it. He did not delve deeper.

It was not until Calculation revealed the Righteous Skill of cultivation, walking the Yang Pass through the life-stealing skill, that he had a revelation. The dharma method of the Meng family was utterly wicked and filthy, yet beneath these sinister techniques, lay the most Righteous Skill?

This was simply absurd!

But oddly, although he didn't want to admit it, with his current understanding, he could discern the rationality in the absurdity.

The dharma method was real, but there was a significant difference when practicing it. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Just like the dharma method of the Meng family, it involved Life Borrowing from that Ancestor, allowing oneself to enter the Intermediate Yin Realm, to additionally perform Life Borrowing from this world, achieving cultivation. Besides the Meng family, no one else could worship the Meng Family Ancestor, nor practice this dharma method. Even the Meng family, in truth, never pondered the wonders of this dharma method. Since this dharma method, after all, relied on the Ancestor's authority to be achieved, they only thought about how to utilize this borrowed lifespan and how to better wield each Column of cultivation... to secretly surpass the Ancestor!

It was in this contemplation that a remarkably profound dharma method was gradually taking shape.

The difference between Hu Ma and the Meng family lay here: he could not seek the Meng Family Ancestor to help with Life Borrowing. But he could plunge himself into life-and-death crises to forcefully steal life. The source of this cultivation was different, but the Condensing of cultivation, as well as the method of use, were almost entirely consistent with the Meng family's. This even belonged to the most Righteous Skill in the world, a dharma method held within oneself, dignified and upright, which no one could take away.

Upon this thought, even Hu Ma felt somewhat reflective.

The Meng family, perhaps even before their clan's extinction, never knew that their family possessed a profound dharma method comparable to the Ten Surnames.

They did more than just kowtow!

Eldest Master Meng might have understood at the last moment, which is why he said those things to me.

"Hand it over!" Hu Ma roared, startling the entity that was closely observing his situation. It seemed to have acknowledged Hu Ma's death, but was unexpectedly caught off guard by the sudden turn of events and retreated in alarm.

At that moment, Hu Ma thought he saw a bizarre figure clad in silks and satins. It held a ledger, its body covered in strange eyes and heads, and it was looking at him in utter terror. Its strange ledger clearly had a few entries added for him, but it never expected him to open his eyes and forcefully disrupt the record. The words on the ledger began to disobey its control, autonomously changing to add lifespan to Hu Ma. It seemed exceptionally frightened, screaming silently, wanting to make corrections. But ultimately, facing Hu Ma's furious gaze, it leaped away quickly, hiding in the deepest darkness of the Intermediate Yin Realm.

Hu Ma, having no time to ponder what this entity was, exerted all his strength to open his eyes again. The first time he opened his eyes, he had unconsciously regained his awareness. The second time he opened his eyes, he returned to the human world from the Intermediate Yin Realm.

He had come back to life in the human world. Within his empty body, a Column of cultivation appeared out of nowhere. It was very weak, just an ordinary One Incense, without Purple Qi, but it was genuinely his own fourth incense.

At this moment, the Great Mighty Sky General Dharma Form was about to be dragged into the coffin. To outsiders, Hu Ma was dead, gone without a sound, and no one could prevent this from happening.

Yet unexpectedly, Hu Ma had already opened his eyes amidst the roaring flames. Furthermore, because the Great Mighty Sky General Dharma Form was now almost completely severed from his own connection, that nail could no longer suppress him. So, Hu Ma held his breath, quickly observed his surroundings, and then, catching everyone off guard, he leaped up. In an instant, he spewed True Yang Qi. The flames rolling around him suddenly surged, reaching a height of thirty to forty feet, like a wall of fire. The lanterns floating in mid-air were also instantly ignited, SIZZLING as they fell, scattering sparks.

With the lanterns burned, the Ten Doors returned to their proper alignment. Hu Ma once again clearly sensed his bearings.

Not good...

With his ten lanterns burned, those in the Haishou Sect immediately sensed trouble and leaped aside. This leap covered thirty to forty feet. Then, scrambling and rolling, they fled over a hundred feet away. Turning halfway, ready to escape at any moment, they looked back.

At this moment, Nu'er Hong had also stopped the spell she was forming with her hands. She was clearly just a hair's breadth away from being able to retrieve the Great Mighty Sky General Dharma Form. But she turned around, looking through the leaping flames around them towards Hu Ma in the center of the field. Hu Ma was also looking coldly back at her. Both of them understood in their hearts. With the Ten Doors returned to their proper alignment, Hu Ma could now summon the Zhensui Mansion.

Nu'er Hong, as someone from Shangqiao, possessed the ability to seek good fortune and avoid calamity. Although Hu Ma had not yet summoned it, she could sense that if she continued to seal this Great Mighty Sky General Dharma Form, Hu Ma would indeed summon the Zhensui Mansion. As for the outcome, it might be her death here, with the Great Mighty Sky General Dharma Form being reclaimed by Hu Ma. Or perhaps she would be injured but still succeed in taking the item.

That outcome was too blurry. With her current abilities, she couldn't see it clearly.

Therefore, she couldn't gamble.

The two stood in silent confrontation, surrounded by peril. Only the fire raged beside them, causing everything to CRACKLE and POP as it burned.

KACHA KACHA KACHA...

The sound of iron chains twisting and snapping rang out. This was because Hu Ma had awakened and Nu'er Hong had stayed her hand. During their silent standoff, the Great Mighty Sky General Dharma Form sensed Hu Ma's presence and was actively returning to his body. This connection was even stronger than before, seemingly due to the addition of this one Incense.

Nu'er Hong's face was cold. Suddenly, her slender hand moved slightly, and red threads around her quivered.

Hu Ma, without offering any thanks, suddenly took a step forward. Planting his feet firmly, he faced her and bowed deeply from a distance.

Four Ghosts Salute.

His Dharma Form was currently pinned, but the stances and abilities learned during Ascension were still with him. Moreover, after Master Ping's guidance, every move and stance Hu Ma made had reached perfection. Although he only had one Column of cultivation, with just a light bow, a fierce, malevolent wind instantly swirled around him. It swept up the surrounding flames, sending them all burning towards Nu'er Hong. The sheer force of it seemed to shake the heavens and earth. In an instant, it had engulfed the land before her.

In the next moment, he was already silently chanting a curse, preparing to summon the Golden Armored Warriors to bring the Demon Suppression Golden Mace.

"A life beyond life. You have indeed embarked on this path."

But unexpectedly, Nu'er Hong flicked her red threads. It wasn't an attack; instead, she began to retract them. One by one, they all recoiled, winding around her left arm. The moment the red threads were withdrawn, the massive black coffin tipped backward. Yet, the instant it should have hit the ground, it vanished. The White Bone Beans she had scattered were also retrieved, one by one, into her sleeves.

Her figure floated backward lightly, dodging the malevolent flames drawn by the Four Ghosts Salute. It appeared as though she was forced back by this move. However, her expression remained indifferent, without a hint of panic. Her gaze remained fixed on Hu Ma. Her voice was cold; even though she was now over a hundred feet away, each word seemed to be spoken clearly, as if she were right in front of him:

"Today, consider yourself lucky. But what isn't yours, you cannot keep.

"Some people have been deceived by you, but we will not be. The Daluo Dharma Sect may think they are clever, but we have been watching.

"We know what he is scheming, and we know what role your Hu family has played in this.

"Consider today a greeting. If you still intend to go to Shangjing, others will come for you. The path Lao Junmei paved with the sacrifice of his life will not become your stepping stone to becoming an immortal. So, take care of yourself...

"...little brother!"

"..."

"Stay!" Hu Ma's eyes turned cold as he watched countless pieces of paper money fly up around her with her words, nearly engulfing her. He could already feel the Golden Armored Warriors hearing his call. He wanted to summon the Zhensui Mansion to capture them, to properly interrogate them, or perhaps to clarify some matters.

But unexpectedly, as her figure retreated and the red threads were withdrawn, the iron chains binding the Great Mighty Sky General Dharma Form also abruptly vanished. The Dharma Image returned to his body. The sheer weight of it made Hu Ma momentarily hold his breath and stagger a step. At the same time, an excruciating pain shot through the space between his eyebrows. That nail was still embedded in the brow of the Great Mighty Sky General Dharma Form.

By the time he finally managed to open his eyes after holding his breath for a long while, Nu'er Hong was already long gone, vanished without a trace. This woman, it seemed, had even calculated the impact of the Great Mighty Sky General Dharma Form's return into her plan, using it as a part of her escape.

Hu Ma took a deep breath, feeling his body weak, supported only by a peculiar strength. He gazed at the gradually receding flames and the distorted reality within the black smoke, feeling his head spin slightly.

A stepping stone to becoming an immortal?

Miss White Wine mentioned that her friends in Shangjing suddenly disappeared ten years ago...

Were they already investigating these matters back then?

Reincarnators... besides those currently on the Shangqiao and the deceased older generation, there's another group active in the shadows...

"..."

His thoughts were chaotic, and for a moment, he couldn't think clearly. Hu Ma was unaware that, at this very moment, in a certain place, someone was staring at nine lamps before them. Originally, all were extinguished, with only the first three emitting a faint glow.

Yet, just as Hu Ma seized the fourth incense, suddenly, all four lamps lit up brightly. In an instant, they illuminated the dark room considerably, also lighting up half of the lamp-watcher's face.

It was National Master Dongxuan. He slowly let out a breath, a gratified smile appearing on his face. "Finally, it has begun..."