The most melodramatic rebirth in history

Chapter 302 City Lord Qinglan, The Secret of the Nine Rings [Part 1]

"An epic-level overlord!!"

An immense pressure emanated from the plum blossom mark on the woman's forehead. Feng Ling's face turned pale, and he knelt on the ground, gripping the Fire-Tipped Spear tightly with both hands.

Just one glance was enough to shake one's soul!
This was the lingering power of the superior, the suppression of the difference in rank. Even though the other party had been dead for thousands of years, he still managed to make Feng Ling look miserable.

The woman's aura of pressure was very familiar; he was now absolutely certain that it was the same dormant aura he had sensed before.

"Hmph! No matter how powerful you were in life, now that you've fallen and only this wisp of your soul remains, don't even think about making me bow down and submit to you!"

It felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his back. Feng Ling's brows revealed an unruly spirit, and his bones, which were clearly formed from divine soul, crackled and popped.

He actually managed to slowly straighten up despite the pressure from the epic-level powerhouse, raised his proud head, and looked disdainfully at the plum blossom mark.

The plum blossom mark was predominantly purple, with only a faint, barely visible gold. It was precisely because of this faint gold that Feng Ling's soul was shaken.

"Crush it for me!"

Having recovered some of his strength, Feng Ling moved around to adjust to the discomfort brought by the oppressive aura. He then suddenly exerted his strength and launched himself forward, aiming the tip of his Fire-Tipped Spear directly at the mark between the woman's eyebrows, determined to destroy it.

Only by destroying it can the oppressive force be dispelled and everything returned to one's control.

"Feng Ling, stop! That's an epic-level inherited ghost spirit without a master's consciousness!"

An aged voice entered his ears, and Feng Ling's pupils shrank. He quickly dispersed his ghostly power, but it was too late. The Fire-Tipped Spear had already struck the plum blossom mark, producing a metallic clang.

In that instant, space seemed to freeze. Feng Ling, his face grim, withdrew his Fire-Tipped Spear, the recoil forcing him to stagger back several steps.

Don't break it! Please don't break it!

Gazing at the plum blossom mark that rippled violently, Feng Ling offered countless prayers in his heart.

"Elder Tong, how did I disturb you?" Seeing the old man's shocked and angry face that had appeared beside him, Feng Ling asked tentatively, "Seeing how worried you are, will it break?"

"Shatter? It will shatter? I was worried about you!" Elder Tong, leaning on his scepter, was furious upon hearing this. "You brat, do you know that maliciously attacking an epic inheritance mark can not only lead to losing your inheritance qualification, but also cause the inheritance mark to reflect the damage back to the attacker with ten times the power! If I hadn't reminded you, you would have suffered severe damage to your divine sense!"

"..."

Feng Ling remained silent.

Seeing this, Elder Tong said helplessly, "Well, it's rare to find a powerhouse who can cultivate to the epic level. It's understandable that your Jade Purity Sect member just broke through and doesn't know these secrets. My spatial divine sense is being severely depleted here, so I shouldn't stay any longer. I'll just send you a divine sense to read it yourself."

As they were talking, a divine thought filled with a large amount of information flooded into Feng Ling's mind. Then, Elder Tong gave a few more instructions and left this space.

Feng Ling quickly began to peruse the contents of his divine sense. After half an incense stick's worth of intensive study, he finally mastered all the knowledge points of the epic level.

Realm Division: Celestial Phenomenon - Purple Qi from the East and Flower Rain - signifies entering the Epic Realm. Once the realm stabilizes, a purple plum blossom mark will appear on your natal spirit.

One purple plum blossom mark indicates a fifteenth-level epic overlord, while two petals indicate a sixteenth-level epic overlord. The higher the cultivation level, the more intense the purple hue of the petals.

Based on this, it can be inferred that the woman in palace attire was a top-tier epic overlord with a cultivation level of sixteenth rank, or even a half-step seventeenth rank ultimate ghost spirit master!

Because the last part of the description of the epic-level Ghost Master in the old man's divine sense is: the light gold color is the sign that he is about to enter the seventeenth reincarnation.

The Ultimate Ghost!!
They are extremely rare, often living in seclusion in idyllic paradises, appearing only once every few centuries. Only during the chaotic times a thousand years ago did they appear in the world a little more frequently.

"A half-step ultimate inheritance ghost spirit body!"

Gazing at the ghostly body, its deep purple tinged with a faint golden hue, even with Feng Ling's composure, a burning passion ignited within him.

Fortunately, no one witnessed this scene, otherwise he would definitely be misunderstood as having some kind of special fetish.

"Signature, come!" Feng Ling didn't act rashly. Instead, he waved his hands, continuously forming obscure and difficult hand seals to guide the plum blossom mark. This was because all powerhouses above the epic level possessed marks, and inheritance was mostly completed through the mark choosing its master.

Imprint inheritance differs from spirit infusion inheritance in that: the former is a test-type inheritance formed when a remnant soul of an epic-level powerhouse merges with a plum blossom imprint upon their fall, and is not limited to bloodline; while spirit infusion inheritance is a bloodline-type inheritance, limited to bloodline, and the possibility of perfect spirit infusion is extremely slim if the person performing the spirit infusion is not a relative or a passive recipient.

Furthermore, the security of imprint inheritance far surpasses that of spirit infusion inheritance. If a ghost spirit is an encrypted energy storage device, then an imprint is an anti-theft device that combines unlocking and self-destruction.

The spirit infusion inheritance is unlocked through bloodline, and there is a risk of forcibly breaking it. For example, evil spirit masters usually collect a large number of ghost spirits and forcibly infuse the spirit in exchange for destroying the integrity of the ghost spirit inheritance.

The inheritance of the mark requires passing the mark test. If one tries to obtain it by force without passing the test, the mark and the ghost spirit will self-destruct.

Generally, few people forcefully break the inherited mark. First, forcibly breaking the mark would lead to self-destruction, which is not worth the loss. It is better to leave it as an opportunity for the younger generation of the clan to comprehend. Second, those below the epic level cannot damage the mark, let alone withstand the pressure of the mark first.

"Buzz, buzz!" Finally, the incantation took shape, and the purple-gold plum blossom mark trembled, emitting a soft red light that enveloped Feng Ling.

Feng Ling subconsciously closed his eyes, only to feel his forehead gradually becoming hot, with waves of tingling sensation. He vaguely saw two plum blossoms between his eyebrows, but they were blood red.

The epic legacy begins!
Feng Ling immersed himself in this wondrous energy, allowing his divine consciousness to undergo a transformation.

"I am Qinglan, the Lord of Ghost City. A decade at the pinnacle of legend, a hundred years of auspicious purple energy flowing from the east, yet my epic journey ends here, succumbing to the calamity of the Nine-Headed Serpent. Alas, my end..."

A magnificent Taoist chant resounded throughout the universe, and the image of a woman in palace attire appeared. The scenery around the strange space jumped and changed with her movements, which were fragments of her memories from her previous life.

In the fragments of memory, Feng Ling saw Qing Lan's legendary life, which, although only a microcosm, could still be described as astonishing.

Qinglan was hailed as a once-in-a-millennium prodigy. She began cultivating at the age of six, broke through to the peak of the legendary realm at ten, and fought a newly ascended epic-level expert for seven days and seven nights before finally defeating him!

She broke through to the Epic level at the age of one hundred, descended to the Netherworld Rift to subdue the ghosts, and together they created the Fierce Ghost City, where she became its new lord, achieving harmony between humans and ghosts! Later, when the Nine-Headed Serpent caused chaos, she single-handedly converted her eight envoys to Epic levels, fought the Nine-Headed Serpent, but was ultimately defeated, sacrificing herself and severely injuring and sealing it away...

"A legendary peak at ten years old, an epic overlord at a hundred, and a severe wound to the sealed Nine-Headed Demon before her death... Compared to her, my own achievements are truly insignificant!"

Feng Ling's lips twitched, feeling as if his understanding had been severely impacted.

Generally, those who break through to the Legendary level before the age of thirty, reach the twelfth level before the age of forty, the thirteenth level before the age of sixty, the fourteenth level before the age of eighty, and break through to the peak of the Legendary level around the age of one hundred are considered to have excellent aptitude.

Feng Ling is currently twenty years old and has just entered the fourteenth stage of cultivation, while Qing Lan was already at the peak of the legendary realm at the age of ten. Most peak legendary experts are over a hundred years old, but she had already achieved the epic realm at the age of one hundred. This talent is truly almost demonic, no wonder Feng Ling was shocked.

Of course, what shocked Feng Ling even more was that even with such heaven-defying talent, it took Qinglan a full ninety years to break through to the Epic level!

As for the higher levels, Qinglan had never truly reached them even after a thousand years of cultivation. Tragically, she only glimpsed a ray of hope when she was about to die in her calamity.

It is evident that from the Epic level onwards, advancement in realm is something that cannot be sought but only encountered by chance. Each advancement is a huge watershed, and to break through the shackles, one's foundation, opportunities, and talent are indispensable.

Therefore, before their lifespan of over two hundred years is exhausted, it is considered extremely fortunate for legendary powerhouses to break through to the epic level and be reborn, while the vast majority are stuck at the peak of the fourteenth rank, waiting for their lifespan to run out.

For example, Elder Wu Zhong of the Jade Purity Sect reached the peak of the legendary realm at the age of 102, and only entered the epic overlord realm when he was about to reach the age of 239, accumulating more than a hundred years of experience!

"The Great Dao is merciless, leaving only withered bones; thousands of years pass in the blink of an eye; even the most powerful cultivation can vanish in a single day!"

Feng Ling sighed sadly. Ordinary people live for a hundred years, advanced ghost spirit masters for fifty years, legendary powerhouses for two hundred years, and only epic-level powerhouses can live for five hundred or a thousand years, yet they still cannot escape their fate.

Now, Feng Ling has reached the fourteenth level of the Transformation Realm, and it won't be long before he reaches the peak of the fourteenth level. At that time, he will also face an epic watershed moment.

Feng Ling was confident that he could break through this major barrier, but the time it would take to do so was not something he could control, unless he had some kind of opportunity, like the one he was currently experiencing!

"Sizzle, sizzle—!!" Suddenly, the blood-red mark between Feng Ling's eyebrows flashed frequently, resonating with the purple-gold mark. The two seemed like magnets meeting, unleashing a powerful attraction force.

Then a sudden change occurred. The red light of the mark tore and squeezed Feng Ling's divine consciousness, eventually shrinking rapidly and merging into the epic-level ghost spirit body.

……

"boom--!!"

Above the outer plaza, the scrolls transformed into dense, golden runes that exploded with a deafening roar. The powerful golden energy storm, centered on the man in black, swept outwards in all directions.

"Not good!!" Sensing the abnormality, Elder Kuang San shouted in shock and anger. With a wave of his sleeve, he swept up Kuang Tu and Ye Jin, who had not yet reacted, and fled at top speed.

Immediately afterwards, the square was filled with billowing dust and constant roaring, which drowned out the painful roar of the figure in the center of the square as he looked up to the sky.

"what--!!"

The connection between his divine sense and the strange space was forcibly severed, and the excruciating pain was almost unbearable for Feng Ling.

"Ding-ding, ding-a-ling!"

The golden storm continued to rage across the ravine-filled plaza, inevitably affecting the central altar stone coffin. The eight chains, each as thick as a baby's arm, trembled violently, clattering and scraping against each other with a rustling sound.

Immediately afterwards, lightning surged and sparks flew on the chains, and the entire azure barrier space was filled with thunder and lightning, as if a chain reaction had been triggered.

"Boom, boom!" Thunderbolts roared and slammed into the stone coffin along the eight chains.

With a deafening bang, the eight chains and the stone coffin turned into dust and scattered, revealing the figure of a woman in palace attire. The purple-gold mark on her forehead emitted a dazzling light, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime.

"Feng Ling, Feng Ling..."

Suddenly, a melodious and ethereal female voice swept across his consciousness, seemingly containing supreme magical power. Feng Ling immediately felt the intense pain lessen, and the chaotic sounds around him receded like a tide.

Feng Ling slowly opened his eyes, and the chaotic scene around him greatly shocked him.

Suddenly, time and space seemed to freeze, and the energy ripples spreading from the golden storm were clearly visible, with thousands of lightning bolts and thunderbolts hanging in the sky.

Nearby, the original plaza and altar have completely disappeared, replaced by rubble and scorched earth covered with patches of electric lightning.

In the distance, three disheveled figures remained frozen in place, resisting the energy storm, their expressions steadfast, like lifelike statues.

Kuang Lao's hair and beard were flowing, and he was trying his best to maintain the barrier; Kuang Tu was disheveled and looked utterly horrified; Ye Jin was completely disfigured and looked bewildered.

……

"Feng Ling, congratulations on passing the test and obtaining my inheritance... But the Nine-Headed Demon is about to awaken, and the real test of life and death has only just begun! You must obtain the inherited power of the other eight deputy city lords as soon as possible... This zither is a gift to you..."

The purple-gold light continued to flash, and the palace-dressed woman, whose figure was suspended in the air, spoke intermittently as she waved her sleeve and sent a dazzling purple light in front of Feng Ling.

Qinglan!?
Feng Ling watched the woman in palace attire warily. He knew that ghost spirits and ghosts were of the same origin but not the same thing. This woman was very likely a wisp of remnant soul that Qing Lan had preserved in the plum blossom mark when she fell, to ensure the continuation of her lineage.

Now, after a thousand years of time, regardless of whether this remnant soul harbors any ill will towards me, it has reached the brink of annihilation and could not possibly possess the prerequisite for resurrection by possessing another's body.

After confirming that the other party only had a wisp of remnant soul left, Feng Ling carefully took the purple light.

"Whoosh!!" The purple light entered his hand, and the halo flowed and subsided, transforming into an exquisitely crafted guqin.

The two delicate characters “Qin Lan” are engraved on the lower right corner of the instrument. A smooth scroll is laid out on the strings. Upon closer inspection, it turns out to be a musical score called: The Great Dao Has No Musical Secrets.

These two items were Qinglan's natal artifact and signature skill that made her famous throughout the continent. "Qinlan" is both the name of the guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument) and her title.

"Thank you for your kindness, senior. May I ask how I can find the eight deputy city lords and how I can fight against the Nine-Headed Demon?"

Feng Ling put away the guqin and respectfully clasped his hands in greeting to Qinglan's remnant soul. He did not believe that he could stop the ferocious creature that was about to awaken with just a guqin and his fourteenth-level legendary power.

"The zither, Qin Lan... will guide... you to... the position of the deputy... deputy city lord. The memories left to you... we will meet again someday..."

The Daoist chant was faint and intermittent. Qinglan's remnant soul, along with the epic-level ghost spirit, suddenly burst out of the woman in palace attire. Feng Ling immediately restored his connection with the wisp of divine consciousness in the strange space.

Immediately afterwards, the inherited divine consciousness returned to its place, and a blood-red plum blossom mark bloomed between Feng Ling's eyebrows. The epic-level ghost spirit gradually transformed into Feng Ling's appearance.

"Farewell?" Feng Ling was filled with doubt, but before he could ask, Qing Lan's remnant soul had already turned into specks of silver light and merged into the blood-red mark.

In his sea of ​​consciousness, a large number of fragmented memories surged forth, piecing together a complete picture, which turned out to be the Battle of the Nine Infants, which was missing from the inherited memories!
……

At the start of the scene, a deafening roar suddenly erupted above the silent Ghost City, and a colossal creature with nine ferocious tentacles descended from the sky, its massive size crushing the city's protective barrier.

Feng Ling immediately recognized the enormous creature, which resembled a deep-sea octopus, as the Nine-Headed Demon!
"Boom! Boom!"

The Nine-Headed Demon landed, raising a cloud of dust hundreds of feet high. Its nine tentacles stretched for thousands of feet, sweeping across the eight directions. Wherever the tentacles passed, life was ravaged, and countless magnificent palaces were instantly reduced to ruins.

The city of ghosts is vast, so vast that it took several dozen breaths after the Nine-Headed Serpent descended to arrive at a rapid pace from the distant horizon.

……

In the middle of the scene, the city of ghosts is filled with cries of agony, and nine tentacles smash nine deep trenches into the ground, showing all sorts of deaths.

Some were hit on the head by tentacles and died instantly from exploding flesh; some were crushed by tentacles and died from inward curling; and some were swept into ditches by tentacles and died indirectly from drowning!

A thick, pungent stench of blood filled the entire area, and large amounts of scalding blood flowed continuously into the ravines, forming rivers of blood.

"Boom! Boom!"

A series of intense collisions resounded throughout the heavens and earth. The eight epic-level powerhouses were scattered in all directions in the shape of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), with only one person above them blocking the way.

"Qinglan, you have already been afflicted by my innate Ghost Yin Curse. If you remain stubborn and refuse to submit, you will have no choice but to die!"

Instead of pressing its advantage, the Nine-Headed Demon quietly seeped its nine tentacles into the Blood River, replenishing its own energy by frantically absorbing the essence of the blood.

It remained completely unperturbed, knowing that the longer the time dragged on, the more people would die, and the stronger the blood river would become, which would be more advantageous to it.

"Nine Infants, you are bloodthirsty and slaughter all living beings. How can we cultivators aid and abet such evil? We should punish you on behalf of Heaven, even if it means dying ten thousand times!"

The woman in palace attire played the zither with one hand, and wave after wave of sound, as solid as a raging sea, struck the head of the Nine-Headed Demon. With each wave, the Nine-Headed Demon let out a deafening roar of pain.

Feng Ling also noticed something amiss. The main role of the eight epic powerhouses was to form a restrictive magic array, while only Qing Lan was the true main force of damage output.

"Buzz, buzz!"

Just as Feng Ling was pondering, a raging torrent carrying unstoppable heavenly might pierced through the location of his divine sense body. The aura of death it brought at that moment was incredibly real, causing even his physical body to tremble.

"boom!!"

A distant mountain collapsed with a deafening roar, sending rocks flying. It turned out that Qinglan's powerful sonic wave had been deflected by the Nine-Headed Demon's tentacles, which caused all of this to happen.

"Hiss!!" Feng Ling turned his head and stared intently at the scene, his heart filled with shock and unable to calm down for a long time. Although it was just a memory, it still gave him a feeling of being there. Especially that sonic wave, which possessed the terrifying power to split mountains and shatter peaks, gave Feng Ling a deeper understanding of Qin Lanqin.

"Raging Waves, my true form has opened the heavens and earth, what do you have to contend with me!"

Feng Ling watched the mountain collapse with lingering fear. The fierce battle inside the city was nearing its end, and a rampant roar rolled in.

……

Later in the scene, the Nine-Headed Demon unfolds its Dharma Body, and a strange, pitch-black phantom solidifies on its body, more than ten times the size of its original form.

Each tentacle was like a colossal pillar supporting the sky, its swings creating howling winds and shifting clouds, its crashes earth-shattering and ferocious. In particular, the sheer power of all nine tentacles wielding simultaneously was enough to awe heaven and earth and move even the gods to tears.

Faxiangtiandi!

Feng Ling silently memorized the word, a burning passion rising in his heart.

Having observed the battle for so long, Qinglan's cultivation level should be comparable to Jiuying's, and in fact, her burst of power should be even greater than Jiuying's. However, after Jiuying was forced to open his Dharma Body, he was able to instantly reverse the situation.

"Hu! Hu! Hu!"

All around, howling winds raged, and the nine towering pillars spun rapidly, forming a powerful tornado vortex that uprooted ancient trees and swept away the palace walls and rubble.

“Bang, bang, bang—”

The Nine-Headed Serpent transformed into a swirling tornado that stretched from the sky to the earth, surging forth one after another; Qinglan was not to be outdone, with ten thousand raging waves rising behind her, covering the sky and the earth.

The two energies, each brimming with destructive power, collided with a deafening roar. The blinding white light that erupted instantly silenced the world, plunging it into darkness.

"..." The white light was shocking and filled all directions, but in the center of the white light were two black shadows, one large and one small, with extremely different body proportions.

The surroundings were completely silent in the white light. Feng Ling's pupils suddenly contracted as he saw the eight epic-level powerhouses below looking shocked and angry, their lips moving rapidly, yet he could not sense a single sound wave coming from them.

Deafness!

Everyone in the audience temporarily lost their hearing during the epic battle between the two dominant powers.

"Boom!!" The white light quickly faded, and a deafening sound wave was released. The violent energy aftershocks impacted the magic array, and the eight epic powerhouses spat out a mouthful of blood and flew back a hundred feet before they could regain their footing.

Fortunately, the existence of the magic array not only restricted the Nine-Headed Serpent's range of movement, but also neutralized most of the energy aftershocks, preventing everyone from suffering secondary injuries.

"Lord of the City!!" Seeing a deep purple light shooting out from the center of the battlefield, the eight epic powerhouses roared in shock and anger and rushed over, only to be struck on the head by eight giant pillars that fell from the sky.

At its peak, Jiuying casually waved its tentacles, easily repelling everyone and also imbuing them with a binding force.

In the distance, a deep purple light transformed into the figure of a woman with a blank expression. Although her aura was still extremely powerful, it was also very unstable and occasionally appeared semi-transparent.

"Qinglan, you were first struck by my Ghost Yin Curse, and now your soul is severely injured and your body is collapsing. There is no hope of recovery. Considering how difficult cultivation is, why don't you obediently let me devour your epic-level ghost spirit body! If you can help me break through my shackles, I might be happy to let them go!"

The Nine-Headed Serpent retracted its tentacles and deliberately toyed with the eight glass balls formed by the power of confinement. A rumbling, savage laugh came from its gaping maw, drowning out the wailing cries that echoed across hundreds of thousands of miles of land.

Feng Ling frowned, thinking that Jiuying must have suffered from some serious illness.

How can you have the audacity to say that someone's cultivation is difficult after destroying their city and annihilating their body, and how dare you make the request to 'sacrifice a ghost spirit before death'?

"Lord of the city! Don't worry about us! Even if we die, we will never yield to this beast!"

A series of tremors came from the crystal ball. The eight deputy city lords, united in their hatred of the enemy, finally broke free and shattered the power of confinement at the cost of burning their life essence.

"Hmph! Stubborn fools! I'll devour her soul first, then I'll deal with you!"

Seeing that threats were ineffective, Jiuying shook off eight people and looked at the seemingly bewildered figure in the distance, unable to suppress the greed in his eyes.

The so-called Yuanhun is the state in which an epic powerhouse loses his physical body, and his soul and ghostly spirit are superimposed.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, truly a stroke of luck!" The Nine-Headed Serpent opened its blood-red maw, its massive body shooting out with a roar, intending to swallow Qinglan's ghostly spirit and soul whole.

A shadow covered Qinglan's head, and a foul stench blew out from Jiuying's mouth, making Fengling's divine consciousness feel nauseous.

With a gaping maw closing in, Feng Ling thought Qing Lan was doomed to be devoured. Unexpectedly, a helpless sigh pierced the cacophony of the world:

"So be it... Humans and ghosts coexisting in one corner will inevitably suffer divine punishment and calamity. I will not be able to witness the fulfillment of such a grand ambition, so I will sacrifice myself to overcome this tribulation of the Nine-Headed Serpent!"

Qinglan's eyes regained their clarity, and two plum blossom marks appeared between her brows. The purple aura grew stronger and stronger until it reached its peak, quietly gilded with a wisp of sacred golden light. Then, a purple-gold sound wave surged forth.

"call out--"

The giant pupil reflected the color of the purple-gold raging waves. Jiuying sensed a strong aura of danger spreading and quickly retreated.

The Nine-Headed Serpent reacted very quickly, but it was too close to the Purple Gold Raging Waves, and the latter was incredibly fast.

The purple-gold torrent arrived first, reaching the edge of the Nine-Headed Serpent's gaping maw in an instant. The purple-gold light pierced through the gaps between its teeth, illuminating the vital organs within its body.

How can this be! ?
Upon seeing this, Jiuying was terrified and let out a deafening roar, attempting to create distance by colliding the two sound waves.

Unexpectedly, the roaring sonic wave energy was strangely assimilated. Not only was the purple-gold raging tide not slowed down in the slightest, but its speed increased instead of decreasing. Seeing this, Jiuying had no choice but to bite the bullet and swallow it whole.

In terms of defensive capabilities alone, it is quite confident!

"Roar!!" The purple-gold torrent entered its throat and exploded with a bang, like fish bones choking it, causing continuous damage. The Nine-Headed Serpent roared in pain, but the more it struggled, the more it suffered.

Such a golden opportunity was naturally not to be missed by the nine strongest figures in history. The eight deputy city lords used all their skills to bombard the Nine-Headed Serpent's head, making its roar even louder. They had been extremely frustrated earlier.

City Lord Qinglan stood frozen in place, her arms outstretched in a strange manner, muttering incantations.

Immediately afterwards, Feng Ling witnessed a scene that shocked him: Qing Lan's brow shimmered with purple-gold light, and her semi-transparent figure began to expand rapidly, instantly growing more than a hundred times larger, reaching a height that allowed her to look down upon Jiu Ying.

"Bang! Bang bang bang!!"

As if the sky had collapsed and the earth had caved in, a series of explosions resounded throughout the heavens and earth. Qinglan, who was like a giant, rushed up and gave Jiuying a brutal beating.

The overwhelming power startled the eight deputy city lords who were besieging the city, causing them to scatter in panic.

Feng Ling noticed that the eight deputy city lords, half ghost and half ghost, exchanged a tacit glance after they dispersed, their expressions all somewhat strange.

The strange feeling was even stronger when the four deputy city lords, whose true forms were giant ghosts, looked at the beaten-up Jiuying again!

It's as if they're gloating!

"Qinglan, I am at the half-step ultimate realm, while you only attained that level on the verge of death. Neither of you can kill me! Forcibly activating your Dharma Body to resist me will only exhaust your last bit of essence, leaving you with no chance of survival!"

Under the brutal beating of the Lord of Qinglan City, Jiuying was forced to retreat step by step, letting out a hysterical roar of anger. It retracted its nine towering tentacles to completely cover its head, allowing itself to be hit by a hail of bullets.

It wasn't that Jiuying didn't want to resist, but it was no match for Qinglan, whose cultivation had reached the same level. Moreover, Qinglan was currently under the blessing of the Dharma Body and Heaven, so Jiuying was completely powerless to fight back and could only resort to passive defense.

Fortunately, it had thick skin and incredibly strong defense. Although every attack Qinglan unleashed caused Jiuying to roar deafeningly, they were all superficial wounds, not fatal at all.

"Nine Infants, now that our cultivation levels are equal, perhaps I alone cannot kill you, but my Fierce Ghost City has millions of living beings and millions of dead. You destroyed thousands of our cities and wiped out millions of our comrades. Did you even ask them for their consent?"

The clear, resonant sound of the Daoist chant echoed throughout the surrounding city, reaching the ears of every resident.

The chaotic noise gradually subsided, and everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at the majestic purple-gold figure in the sky.

In the Nine Infants Blood River, countless people who fell in ceased struggling, letting the blood corrode their flesh, gritting their teeth and transforming into souls; in the dark crevices, countless hidden souls were no longer frightened, leading children out of the water, their eyes bloodshot as they transformed into resentful spirits.

The entire venue fell silent!
"Warriors of Ghost City, your homes have been destroyed and your people slaughtered. Do you agree to this? The Nine-Headed Serpent is bloodthirsty and brutal. Will you submit? Faced with this blood feud, do you still have the choice to retreat?"

The dazzling purple-gold light shone down, and everyone was enlightened. The confusion on their faces gradually disappeared, and the fear in their eyes vanished, replaced by endless bloodlust and boundless hatred for Jiuying.

"No! We will not yield!"

"We'd rather die than retreat! We'll fight the city lord to the death!"

A legendary powerhouse put down the bodies of his wife and children from his arms, wiped away his tears, and stepped forward.

Soon, more and more voices converged, spreading like wildfire, and one figure after another stepped forward without hesitation.

"No! We will not yield!"

"We'd rather die than retreat! We'll fight the city lord to the death!"

A multitude of voices surged forth, initially seeming like whispers and echoes, but the next moment the battle raged, the entire arena filled with high spirits and thunderous roars.

……

"No! We will not yield!"

"We'd rather die than retreat! We'll fight the city lord to the death!"

From the eight epic-level deputy city lords to the thousands of ordinary people who weren't even first-level ghost spirit masters, everyone was filled with a will to die for their cause.

Even the elderly, women, and children who were physically weak were encouraged and inspired by the spirit of their companions and bravely took a step forward.

"Buzz! Buzz!"

The deafening roar engulfed the heavens and the earth, and it included people of all ages, from white-haired old men to innocent, ignorant children.

Perhaps these children have no idea what this step they've taken means.

But they had all witnessed their loved ones being brutally devoured by that enormous monster. They wanted to protect... their homeland!

"What a brilliant sonic attack! It can even induce a soul resonance in millions of people!"

Feng Ling stared at the scene in shock, and couldn't help but admire Qing Lan. Just now, his divine sense body was also infected by the bloodthirsty atmosphere transmitted by everyone, and he almost roared out along with everyone else.

"Nine-Headed Serpent, do you see that? There are no cowards or weaklings in our Ghost City!"

With a cold snort, a chilling gaze fell upon him, causing the Nine-Headed Serpent's massive body to tremble slightly, a strong sense of foreboding welling up within him.

"My people, Ghost City has been established for over eight hundred years. Within its jurisdiction, humans and ghosts live in harmony and there is no discrimination in education. However, it has been envied by the heavens, who have brought down the calamity of the Nine-Headed Serpent."

"Now, my city lord, Qinglan, voluntarily relinquishes a thousand years of cultivation, and requests the sacrifice of a million lives to jointly form the Nine-Turning Devouring Yuan Array. This array will shatter the Nine-Headed Serpent's Heavenly Dharma Form, sealing and severing its three souls and seven spirits, condemning it to eternal damnation from reincarnation!"

The majestic Daoist voice echoed throughout heaven and earth. As Qinglan issued her petition, the Ten Thousand Mile Fierce Ghost City fell silent, followed by a chorus of petitions.

One sorrowful figure after another transformed into a magnificent, radiant power of aspiration, converging from the heavens and the earth, creating a breathtaking scene reminiscent of ten thousand Buddhas paying homage.

"We will certainly live up to everyone's expectations!"

A million streams of light surged and converged into her body, causing Qinglan, who had been burning her cultivation to forcefully suppress the Nine-Headed Serpent, to experience a sudden drop in pressure. Immediately afterward, a purple-gold halo flowed across Qinglan's forehead, and almost instantly, her physical body reformed, a single crystal tear sliding down her cheek and falling to the mortal realm.

"Qinglan, stop! You madman! This calamity was destined to be yours. It's all the fault of the cycle of heaven. I don't want to die!"

A soft thud resounded on the nerve endings of the tentacle. The Nine-Headed Serpent roared as it looked at the increasingly powerful palace-dressed woman above it, but no matter how frantically it struggled, it was to no avail.

This time it was truly terrified, unable to muster the slightest thought of fighting, only wanting to get away from this awful place and this crazy woman as quickly as possible!

"Trying to run away? It's too late! I don't believe in the cycle of fate, nor do I believe in dying by some calamity. I will break free from this calamity and be reborn!"

Qinglan snorted coldly, refusing to be begged for mercy by Jiuying. She made hand seals even faster, and the mysterious aura surrounding her became even stronger.

Success or failure hinges on this moment; she will never let her people down and give Jiuying a chance to make a comeback!
"Nine-Turning Devouring Yuan Array, activate!"

As the heavens and earth hummed, nine blood-red pillars of light shot into the sky, connecting with each other to form a whole. Ancient and profound auras emanated from them, piercing and eroding all of the Nine-Headed Serpent's tentacles.

“Roar! Roar!!”

The nine pillars of blood were like nine nails, firmly pinning the Nine-Headed Serpent's body to the earth. A soul-devouring, excruciating pain swept over it, causing the Nine-Headed Serpent to lose its mind and descend into a berserk state.

As the Nine-Headed Serpent's struggle intensified, the nine pillars of blood trembled and hummed, appearing extremely unstable. Qinglan frowned slightly and immediately turned her gaze to the eight deputy city lords who were assisting her.

"I, the Night Demon King, am willing to serve as the foundation for this formation!"

"My Heavenly Demoness, I am willing to serve as the foundation for this formation!"

……

"The titled Mad Blade Three Waves is willing to serve as the foundation of the formation!"

"I am bestowed the title 'Azure Water and Glazed Light,' and I am willing to serve as the foundation of this formation!"

"I am willing to serve as the foundation of the formation..."

"I am willing to serve as the foundation of the formation..."

Having lived together for thousands of years, they had forged an unparalleled tacit understanding. The eight epic powerhouses expressed their commitment one by one, without any hesitation, and each of them plunged into a pillar of blood-red light.

Bathed in the bloody light, their faces wore an air of relief and nonchalance, perhaps knowing from the very beginning that this day would come sooner or later.

Humans and ghosts are on different paths, as are humans and demons, but they all lead to the same destination, which is intolerable to the laws of Heaven!

"This formation was forged with the lives of millions; its foundation was built with the divine souls of the eight epics..."

With my near-ultimate ghostly spirit, I forged the eye of this array. The Nine-Turned Devouring Yuan Array, ceremony complete!

The world is full of chaos and troubles; may the sages offer you a pure land for your souls.

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(End of this chapter)