Twilight Boundary-Chapter 809 - 797: The Ten Incense Main Sacrificial

In the city, chaos had already begun, with strange, silent scenes everywhere.

Yet, when Hu Ma descended from the ancestral hall, his mind was resolute. Turning a blind eye to the chaos, he headed straight to the incense table that had been set up earlier by the State Preceptor and others from the Ten Surnames.

Beside him, Calculation held a set of clothing, helping him to change. Surprisingly, it was a purple Taoist robe, but Hu Ma didn't mind. After putting it on, he looked himself over, then took the Peach Wood Sword.

Looking into the distance, one could see shadowy figures on the rooftops and walls of Shangjing City not far away.

The reincarnators were already in place, possibly in disguise, though what forms they had taken remained unknown.

Meanwhile, in Shangjing City, the Food Protection Army had lined up to guard the city from outside. In fact, by the afternoon of that day, the Long-winning King had also arrived, allowing the Food Protection Army to return to Mingzhou.

However, after some discussion with Er Guotou, Hu Ma decided to keep the Food Protection Army there as the altar guards for the ritual, as they deserved the benefits of this ritual.

As for the incense table, Calculation served on the left side, taking the place of a Taoist child.

Aside from having more wrinkles on his face, there were no other issues.

Er Guotou had agreed to Hu Ma's request to stand at the right side of the incense table, acting as the assistant priest for this ritual.

The Red Lantern Lady and others were not idle either.

After Er Guotou led the incense out of the city for each of the Ten Surnames, he hung huge red lanterns at each city gate, their eerie light spreading across the ground.

He hung these lanterns personally, and each lantern could seal a city gate.

Inside Shangjing City, an ominous atmosphere permeated. Even earlier, when the Ten Surnames left the city, many smart people realized something was amiss and hastily followed them out.

Among them were even the Qingyuan Hu Family and Hu Ma's maternal family, the Ren Family. They hurried about for days to no avail, not even understanding what was happening in the city.

For the citizens remaining in the city, purple qi leaked from them, gradually revealing the true state of their prosperity.

Those long dead had their flesh and blood peel off painfully, struggling on the ground.

Vindictive souls, called back, wandered the streets, unsure where to go.

Even ordinary citizens, who once found these occurrences normal, suddenly reacted: "Mother… Mom… Oh, no."

The chaos at this moment was indescribable. Many only now realized that those around them had actually died two years ago.

Months ago, they saw their deceased loved ones return home, living normally. It was a clearly eerie and terrifying phenomenon, but they didn't notice and lived together until now.

This confusion and pain, this huge shock, made many feel as if they were torn apart.

Even those scared to death were not few.

The intangible fear seemed to form an invisible force, spreading instantly throughout Shangjing City, with dark clouds obscuring the sun. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

At the same time, Hu Ma, holding the Peach Wood Sword, gently flicked it forward and said solemnly:

"One Incense to the heavens, rise!"

"…"

Before him was the Observing World Incense of the Daluo Dharma Sect, which during the earlier duel with the State Preceptor, almost crushed him under the incense burner.

However, now this incense burner was his.

At this ritual, lighting these sticks of incense was like bearing Shangjing City on his shoulders.

If the ritual succeeded, the city would be protected; if the city fell, the ritual would fail, and he would die.

The incense placed in the burner also had significance; as the Main Sacrificial, the number of sticks lit corresponded to one's cultivation level.

If National Master Dongxuan were to hold the ritual, he could no longer light any incense and could only rely on this one stick of Observing World Incense.

Because he had walked too far on the bridge, his fate was too light, not even reaching One Incense.

But now, Hu Ma flicked the Peach Wood Sword, and sticks of incense in the burner suddenly flared up.

Apart from the one stick of Observing World Incense, nine more sticks were lit in a row, with green smoke drifting.

Even so, he hadn't used all his strength, leaving one incense to protect himself.

"Our little shopkeeper is truly different now."

Behind the incense table, Calculation looked at the nine sticks of incense—rare in the history of the Daluo Dharma Sect—and was somewhat surprised, with a mix of emotion and relief on his face.

He said to Er Guotou beside him: "Right Protector, our little shopkeeper is now the person with the greatest weight of fate in this world. Those who have crossed the bridge may gain skills but their fate lightens, distancing from this world."

"Only this little shopkeeper, not only has his skill grown, but his fate is also extraordinarily weighty."

"…"

He knew Er Guotou, though they hadn't interacted much in the Red Lantern Lady's Club before.

Now meeting again, their identities were different.

Er Guotou also looked at Hu Ma, whispering: "What realm is he in now?"

Calculation sucked his teeth and said: "Theoretically, still entering the mansion, but anyone who has crossed the bridge definitely can't defeat him, and must guard against being pulled off the bridge by him."

"Most importantly, although he can't avoid dharma methods like those who have crossed the bridge, ordinary methods can't kill him… Whoever manages to kill him would be down on their luck because his life is incredibly valuable!"

"No matter how great magic is, it can never be greater than heaven and earth, but he, haha..."

"Whoever kills him, within twenty years, will surely face extinction. Even if the King of Heaven came, he wouldn't be able to protect them."

"..."

Listening to this, Er Guotou couldn't help but feel nostalgic.

This was the little brother he had single-handedly raised, and later discovered to be his junior disciple.

His ties with this world, aside from the Little Red Lantern, were strongest with this person.

Yet, despite their close connection, how did it happen that his relationship with all reincarnators became awkward at this time?

It seemed more vital now to quickly find Tieguanyin to understand some of the mysteries surrounding reincarnators.

"Hoo!"

Similarly, Hu Ma lit incense, and as the blue smoke curled, it seemed to disturb something beneath Shangjing City.

Swoosh, the entire city felt as if a giant beast was arching its back.

The city's citizens felt their bodies lighten, as if they had grown somewhat taller than usual.

Some people saw their yellow beans sunning in the courtyard bounce slightly.

At this moment, Hu Ma lifted his Magic Robe and stomped his foot fiercely; threads of blue smoke drifted through his silhouette, seemingly causing a subtle transformation, vaguely showing hints of three heads and six arms. This stomp was of such immense force that Shangjing City seemed to sink slightly.

It was as if something was being pushed down by his foot.

But it wasn't the crucial moment yet. He stomped once, then with a large sleeve he swung it forward forcefully.

With his Shousui skills, his large sleeve was filled with wind, swinging it out like a heavy hammer, capable of smashing someone opposite into pulp.

Now, being amidst a Magic gathering, this swing was even more impressive, causing a gale to sweep directly over Shangjing City, with roaring winds spreading to the outskirts.

In Shangjing City, the air pressure seemed to drop suddenly, as if the air was being sucked out of the sky. Within these swirling winds, hints of Purple Qi could be seen faintly.

In some areas, Purple Qi even formed into clouds, floating outside the city.

The Food Protection Army guarding around Shangjing City was the first to encounter this Purple Qi, feeling as if their entire body had been cleansed.

Purple Tai Sui!

Shangjing City's peculiarities were due to having a Purple Qi that was dozens or even hundreds of times that of other places.

This Purple Qi was not normal; it was secretly stolen by the Wang family.

Initially, people only knew that the Meng family was the most fervent in stealing heaven and earth's essence, but now the Wang family had surpassed the Meng family.

After all, the Meng family used the stolen essence only for themselves, while the Wang family aimed to create a White Jade City.

They thought, even after becoming immortals, they should remain above others, with Shangjing City retaining its prosperity and liveliness. Thus, according to the Wang family's calculation, everyone in Shangjing should be an immortal.

Everyone could remain ageless and immortal, continuing to serve the descendants of the Wang family eternally, and behind this plan was the Purple Qi that didn't belong to Shangjing City, gathering there.

When Hu Ma set up the altar, the first thing he did was expel this Purple Qi from the city, returning it to the people of the world.

Because it originally belonged to those outside.

Shangjing City should have been the last place to fall into chaos, but instead, the surrounding areas fell into disorder.

Because heaven and earth's essence was stolen, only nourishing Shangjing City.

With the Purple Qi flowing out of the city, chaos erupted again, even more than before.

This extraordinary Purple Qi was forcefully kept inside the city, and without the Ten Surnames Ancestral Hall to suppress it, the Purple Qi started to dissipate, disrupting the balance within Shangjing City.

Now, with Hu Ma's sleeve flick, the Purple Qi rolled away, seemingly revealing the city's hidden flaws, exposing many who had long been deceased or should have died.

Those who should have been alive felt lighter inexplicably.

Only their toes were touching the ground, and many even began to float.

…

"Crack..."

At this moment, Shangjing City reached its lightest weight ever.

The monster beneath the city also got closer to the human world than ever before.

Sounds of gigantic cracks echoed, countless houses collapsed, huge fissures slithered like massive serpents throughout the city.

Amidst panic, cries of despair filled the air.

Beneath the Wang Family's Pharmacy, endless evil Qi erupted, forming swirling black clouds in an instant.

At this moment, in front of the incense table, Hu Ma suddenly stepped forward, like when the National Master once borrowed his body for the altar, revealing talisman patterns glowing, then the Peach Wood Sword pointed towards the direction of Old Yin Mountain.

"Twelve Ghost Altars, come!"