Twilight Boundary-Chapter 797 - 786: The Tenth Pillar Incense (Part 2)
The colossal walls of Shangjing City have crumbled halfway, over ten thousand soldiers of the Shangjing City Garrison were crushed to death by the sudden onslaught of flesh and blood from the sky, engulfing them. Throughout Shangjing, countless people felt the rumble beneath the earth, almost unable to stand, as if shocked by stone-shattering thunder.
The citizens frozen throughout the city, suddenly turned around all at once, facing outward from the city.
"Not good..."
Meanwhile, near the ancestral hall, the State Preceptor forcibly sent the divine spirit for Hu Ma, just as he was about to strike brutally, he was startled by the immense commotion outside the city and spun around swiftly to look in that direction:
"How could those evil spirits comprehend such a skill?"
"Did the Zhu Family leak the secrets, or... did she fail to keep the agreement?"
"..."
"You have provoked those you shouldn't have..."
The commotion outside also startled Hu Ma, who continuously speculated what was happening outside, but his anxiety quickly transformed into joy and pride upon seeing the astonishment on the State Preceptor's face.
With a hearty laugh, he shouted: "Now that it's come to this, your plan has pretty much been ruined, hasn't it? It seems not all ten surnames are willing to serve you loyally..."
"What's it going to be? Leave shamefully on your own, or shall I chase you away?"
"..."
The State Preceptor ought not to be distracted by other events, yet couldn't resist the temptation to glance outside the city; now reminded by Hu Ma, he finally refocused his attention on him.
A feeling of exhaustion washed over him as he sighed: "Indeed, relying on the ten surnames to risk their lives is unrealistic."
"In the words of those people from back then, they are beneficiaries, inherently too weak."
"Expecting evil spirits to always follow rules is unrealistic too; they don't respect our world. Upon their first glimpse, they won't honestly learn these things, but will instead try to reshape the world to their liking..."
"Hence, once they've established some foundation in magic, they will gradually forge a path different from ours..."
"..."
At this thought, he seemed, for a fleeting moment, despondent, contemplating letting go, but soon shed this notion, instead focusing slightly, looking at Hu Ma, speaking softly: "Young friend of the Hu Family, you've done well."
"With such arrangements and meticulous preparations, it's clear you set your resolve before returning to Shangjing, unmoved by external forces, naturally allowing ruthless measures."
"However, one thing puzzles me: With such meticulous preparation, why did you choose to return to Shangjing?"
"Capturing you means seizing the Twelve Ghost Altars, it equates to handing your Life Gate over to me, doesn't it?"
"..."
While speaking, he advanced, aware of the urgency, unwilling to squander time, his aura stirred the world to tremble, surging mana whipping up a storm, making the State Preceptor's figure appear almost to blot out the sky and sun. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮
Sensing the gravity emanating from the State Preceptor, Hu Ma too grew serious.
Glancing around, he saw those four mysterious Reincarnators now occupying the four corners, thoroughly blocking any possible escape routes.
In the face of the State Preceptor's formidable skills, escape was already improbable; irrespective of any remaining tricks, confronted with a situation of one against five, the outcome was indeed certain death.
Thus, he dismissed the derision from his face, speaking calmly: "I returned because you've laid your chess pieces too widely."
"In this chess game, some aspire to immortality, others wish to steal it, yet absolutely no one accounts for the life and death of outsiders, nor is there anyone to speak on their behalf."
"..."
"So you wish to learn from your Hu Family ancestors, entering the fray for those humble folks?"
The State Preceptor unleashed his wrath unreservedly, his surging mana traversing the earth, yet his voice remained calm: "From my perspective, you returned too early; right now, you're still lacking the courage to enter this fray on their behalf."
"It's precisely because I lack courage that I must return!"
Hu Ma said quietly, also secretly practicing, his body already radiating soul light, the surrounding mana ebbing and flowing, suddenly condensing into a Dharma Form.
Faintly seen, his face turned blue-green, fanged, towering four to five zhang tall, growing four arms, flaunting teeth and claws, one hand holding a General Order, another gripping a wordless seal, the other two hands seizing the Great Saber of the Punishment Officer from the ground.
Yet one hand remained empty, suddenly recalled something, reaching out, siezing the black Disaster Bag around his waist.
In an instant, ominous energy overflowed, the wind gusted, even the surrounding Reincarnators seeing this, their faces changed drastically.
"The Great Mighty Heaven Master General manifests once more!"
Unexpectedly witnessing this Dharma Form, the State Preceptor's mana seemed to slightly pause, he looked deeply at Hu Ma, his expression vaguely reflective: "Pity it's only halfway."
But in the following moment, he gently raised his foot and stomped down, instantly trembling the earth, yin and yang thrown off balance, Hu Ma had condensed a Dharma Form, yet felt inexplicably oppressed by endless gales, struggling to stand firm, a feeling experienced for the first time since mastering the Great Mighty Sky General Seal.
"Halfway?"
But confronting the State Preceptor's malevolence, Hu Ma gritted his teeth, and shouted, suddenly swinging the Great Saber of the Punishment Officer, slashing forward: "Precisely because only halfway, it's perfect for dealing with you."
With a thunderous crash, soul light blossomed, the Great Saber of the Punishment Officer clashed with the State Preceptor's surging mana, the ground churned up a layer of earth, tiered stone slabs flipped up, shattered like paper mache.
Yet the State Preceptor gently lifted his hands, suddenly reversing them, then in the next instant, the stone slabs flown into the air, whether fractured or whole, suddenly fell simultaneously, tightly adhering to the ground.
Simultaneously pinned down was Hu Ma, as well as the Great Mighty Sky General Dharma Form.
The State Preceptor's brow furrowed, genuinely perplexed, he spoke softly: "You could have avoided risking this encounter with me, choosing instead this dead-end path, why?"
Now his expression grew calm, conceded his defeat, realizing many matters spiraled out of control from this day forth.
But he truly couldn't grasp Hu Ma's act of returning to Shangjing City, willingly caught in a trap.
No matter how many reasons he gave, it couldn't alter the essence of this endeavor, akin to striking a stone with an egg.
In this regard, he found Hu Ma's successive unforeseen maneuvers previously, suddenly appearing reasonable, because having backup plans, allowed the return.
Yet now without a backup plan, he sought confrontation in this mansion, loudly clamoring against himself, is this...
...madness?
"Life-stealing number in the realm of life and death, taught by you, State Preceptor!"
"Only by having no assurance of survival, and harboring a certain death embracing, can one truly seize that one Column of Life Incense, right?"
By now, Hu Ma's expression turned grim, staring intently at the State Preceptor: "Everything encountered along the way was arranged by you, none were genuine life-and-death situations, that was when I realized that my true chance to fight for life and death actually lies within Shangjing City..."
"Otherwise, why do you think I entrusted the walking ghost to someone else?"
"..."
Perhaps his current display of ruthlessness impressed deeper than expected, capable men facing those willing to risk it all always harbor some fearfulness, even the State Preceptor, finally at this moment, slightly startled, stepped back and murmured:
"Life-stealing number?"
"You are already at nine incense cultivation..."
"You can't possibly cultivate the Tenth Incense, that's beyond the limits permitted by this universe..."
"..."
"The azure heaven is dead, the yellow heaven shall rise!"
And simultaneously, Hu Ma also gritted his teeth, despite his Dharma Form fracturing, suddenly and forcefully broke free, rushing fiercely towards the State Preceptor:
"Calculating back and forth, did you not account that starting twenty years ago, Lao Junmei has coveted your Daluo Dharma Sect's magic?"
"The latter half of the Great Mighty Sky General Seal Technique, coincidentally on your Daluo Dharma Sect's path!"
"...Thank you, State Preceptor!"
